This Sabbath lesson from Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis was taught the day of the Day of Atonement, with the fast beginning at sundown that night, and Brother Obadiah pulled it out of the archives to prepare the class for it. The subject is servitude. A servant, he says, is a person who belongs entirely to a master, and the only question that matters at the end of the line is which of two things the Lord says to you. The lesson walks from the churches told to be watchful and hold fast, through the faithful and wise steward, the ten virgins, Noah in the ark, the talents, Job holding his integrity, and Jesus finishing the work he was given, all the way to the throne of his glory. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
Watch the full Sabbath lesson on YouTube.
1.The Sabbath Script, for Those Who Are New
He opens the way he opens every week, out of Leviticus the twenty-third chapter, then Isaiah the fifty-eighth for what a man has to put down on the day.
Leviticus 23:1-3 KJV1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
Isaiah 58:13-14 KJV13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
"Even though we teach lessons that's dealing with subjects and titles, we got to read something concerning the Sabbath day every week, because that's the connection between you and God. That's what make you God's people, is when you keep the Sabbath day."
"You got to put all your pleasures and the things that you do down on this day. Everything that you do in your personal life, you will be able to do it all again. But you have to understand when you have to put your pleasures away, so he can be your only focus on this day."
2.What a Servant Is, and Why He Has to Watch
He gives the definition before he opens a single passage on the subject.
"A servant, biblically speaking, is a person who belongs entirely to a master. That means that you are a slave or a bond worker. But what better way to be a slave than to serve Jesus? You got to remember when Jesus came to the earth, he washed the disciples' feet. He served everybody."
"You got to be a faithful servant. And another thing you got to understand as being a servant is that you got to finish. If you do not finish what you start, if you start building a city or a tower and you don't count the cost, then in the end that's going to cost you. Because he either gonna say this to you, or he going to say, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you."
Then Revelation the third chapter, the letter to Sardis, because he says you cannot serve the Lord blind.
Revelation 3:2-5 KJV2Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:12 KJV12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 3:20-22 KJV20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
"Right off the rip he said, be watchful. You cannot serve the Lord being blind. You got to watch in all things, and you have to endure affliction as a good servant of the Lord. God knew that they was trying to serve the Lord, but they was not serving the Lord with a true heart. God want your heart to be perfect. But God did not cast them away. God is going to give them strength to endure."
"A pillar don't move. A pillar lasts forever. You set foundations upon pillars. That's the same thing symbolically of what God is saying about you when he make you a pillar in the temple of my God."
"God is knocking at what door? Knocking at the door of your mind. But a lot of people, once he knock at the door, don't nobody open the door and let him in. And you can't let Satan in at all. Because if Satan come in, he going to dwell there and take everything out of your heart what God has already put in."
3.Be Thou an Example of the Believers
Paul's charge to Timothy, for what a servant looks like in front of people.
1 Timothy 4:9-16 KJV9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
11These things command and teach.
12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
"In charity, that is love. In spirit, that spirit that you read off in Ephesians the sixth chapter, that armor of God. You got to have faith to serve him. And in purity, you got to purify your mind in order to serve the Lord. That means everything that you thought you knew about God before you came into the word, you got to get all of that out."
"Give attendance to reading, to exhortation. That's what we do when the brotherhood and the sisterhood text every day. Exhortation, that's encouragement. And also to doctrine. I am one teacher, one pastor, that truly believes that it got to be all the way right. It can't have no mixture in it at all."
4.Who Then Is That Faithful and Wise Steward
Saint Luke the twelfth chapter, the parable the lesson is really built on.
St. Luke 12:31-40 KJV31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
"Just think about you bought a brand new car, and you forgot to lock the door, and somebody jump in that car and you look out the window the next day and it's gone. They can't do this with eternal life. You can't jump all the way up to the third heaven and take your salvation away. The only person that can take your salvation away from you is you."
"You got to have those lights burning all the time. We talked about those candlesticks and those lights had to be burning all the time so they could never go out. That's the same thing with your faithfulness and your servitude toward Jesus. It also can't go out."
"Wait a minute, now this is in the kingdom. You talking about being a servant on this earth, and when you make it into the kingdom Jesus going to sit down and serve you. And he did that while he was on the earth."
Peter asks who the parable is for, and he says the Lord answers him directly.
St. Luke 12:41-48 KJV41Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
"That means you got to be dealing with the Lord in the first watch of the night, the second watch, the third watch. But you got to be doing these things also in the daytime, because you don't know when the Lord is going to come and try you and put you in a situation to show you if you going to serve him or not. We ought to obey God rather than man."
"You going to be beaten with many stripes because you knew better. You knew what to do. You knew to control your temper and to control your mouth. You knew how to love, but you chose not to do it. Trust me, I was the meanest man on the planet. If I can learn how to control my temper, anybody can."
"God require a lot of you. If you going to be written in the book of life, then you got some work to do. Your behavior is going to be required of you. The way that you act and treat people is going to be required of you."
5.Five Were Wise, and Five Were Foolish
Saint Matthew the twenty-fifth chapter, a parable he says he almost never reads.
St. Matthew 25:1-9 KJV1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6And at mid night there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
"This one parable I don't read a lot. It's one of the least parables that I put in lessons, but we going to read about it today."
"They took the lamps, but they didn't take the word of God with them. That's what the oil represent. That means that their lights weren't burning. Their lights done went out."
"Sometimes you got to be selfish in the end. As much as we all come to church together and we all love one another, ain't nobody going to be able to stand for you in the judgment. Your wife ain't going to be there. Your children ain't going to be there when the books going to be open before you."
6.Noah Had Oil in His Lamp
Genesis the sixth chapter, for a man who did have oil, and he says Noah is one of his favorite people in the Bible.
Genesis 6:5-12 KJV5And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Genesis 6:13-22 KJV13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
18But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
"Imagine being Noah. Everybody thought Noah was crazy. It was thousands of people that was probably walking past Noah when he was building an ark, saying he was crazy, he didn't know what he was talking about. That's why I identified with him, because didn't nobody like him. But in the end, Noah was saved and everybody else had died. Because Noah, he had that oil in his lamp. He had the word of God."
"Just think about the flood that we had in Indiana not too long ago. Gary didn't have no power for over two weeks. You just look at a little bit of water and look at the damage that it did. So imagine this right here, where the water had reached all the way up to the clouds. Nothing on this earth could withstand it."
"And thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him, so did he. I think that was one of the most important verses that we read so far. We always talk about the obedience. You got to obey God."
7.As the Days of Noah Were
Saint Matthew the twenty-fourth chapter, which he notes comes right on the heels of the Memorial of the Blowing of the Trumpets, and then back to the virgins to the part he had skipped.
St. Matthew 24:31-39 KJV31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
"We just came out of trumpets. And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds. That's what's going to happen. We going to go back home. One day it ain't going to be no sun, moon, and stars at all. It's going to be the Father and the Son that's going to give light all over the earth."
"Wasn't nobody believing nothing what Noah was talking about, kind of the same way what the world thinks about us today. They think we crazy. Y'all go to church on Saturday? Satan has made a world that's designed to go against God's Sabbath days. He said they shall think to change times and laws. So if you don't have your spiritual eyes on, a lot of people are going to get trapped up in what the Sabbath day truly is."
St. Matthew 25:10-13 KJV10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
"You do not want the Lord to say this to you. You've been on your hands and knees your whole life, and he still didn't know you. It's a lot of people in the world that's praying to the Lord with a sincere heart, but when it come to the end he ain't going to know them, because they didn't seek him with their whole heart, or they was left ignorant. That's why he's going to hold you accountable, because I gave you the book, but you chose not to obey the book."
8.Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servant
The parable of the talents, and the verse the lesson is named after.
St. Matthew 25:14-23 KJV14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
"That far country is none other than heaven. When Jesus went and sat on the right hand of the Father, he left gifts behind for us. Some people have the gift of help. Some people have the gift of prophecy. Some people have the gift of love. So he left these gifts unto men, and he expect for you to use the gifts that he gave you."
"The money that the Lord gave them, they used their money and brought forth more money with it. That's what God want you to do. If I give you a talent, I want you to add to the talent that he has already given you. So if you have a singing ability, you have a reading ability, use it to your advantage."
"That means he gave you a long time to get it right. God gives you time to get it right. But you got to get it right. He gonna wait on you as long as he can, because he merciful. But at some point his mercy gonna run out."
"This is where we get the title of the lesson from. You going to rule with him. What you going to be ruling? I don't know. But it's gonna be way more than what you doing now. Right now the joy of the Lord is your strength. But at some point you going to walk into the joy of the Lord. That joy is his kingdom. The person that had two talents, he going to get the exact same reward as the person that had the five. You just got to endure until the end."
9.Servants of Righteousness, and Nothing Shall Separate Us
Romans the sixth chapter, and he says he is reading it for a reason, with the fast starting at sundown.
Romans 6:12-23 KJV12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
"He ain't saying you ain't going to mess up. He said don't let sin reign in your mortal body. That means that it dwell there. So you going to mess up every now and then. You might as well get used to that. God know that too. That's why he going to chastise you."
"Quit doing everything that your body tell you to do. Quit getting mad every time your body want you to get mad. That's how Satan want to trap you. He going to trap you in what you are the weakest at. A lot of people are weak through their anger. A lot of people weak through lust, and that's what he get them through."
"For ye are not under the law, but under grace. A lot of people use this. These was letters that Paul had wrote, and he was writing to the Romans that was living correctly. He was not writing to every Roman. They was not under the law because they wasn't sinning. They was actually doing what God told them to do."
"That holiness word is sticking out to me a whole lot more now. We got the faith. We're living in righteousness. But now we got to learn to be a little bit more holy."
Then Romans the eighth chapter, which he says is where a servant gets his patience and his confidence.
Romans 8:22-30 KJV22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
"We still going through it too. We still suffering. We know the joy of the Lord is our strength, but we got problems to deal with every day like everybody else do. We just understand that when we go through these problems, we know who to turn to. Some other people might turn to drugs, but we turn to the Lord when we go through our affliction."
"That's why you don't see it now, because God is putting patience in you. While you praying to God for what you want, he listening to it. But you got Jesus also over there praying for something that you don't know that he praying for you for. Because you don't know what you need to go through in order to be stronger."
Romans 8:31-39 KJV31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Who can be against you when God is for you? You can have anybody that hate you, hate what you are, hate your attitude or whatever. But you can't please everybody in this world. That's one thing that you got to learn as being a servant of God. But the one person you can make happy is the Lord."
"That's what the true servants of God are. You going to have some persecution. You going to have some people that's going to take your name and everything about it and throw it in the ground. But is that going to separate you from the love of Christ, or are you going to keep going? We conquerors. That's what we are, once you got Christ on your side."
10.Job Still Held Fast His Integrity
He turns to Job, because he says the Lord will put a servant through the same kind of distress.
Job 1:1-2 KJV1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1:6-12 KJV6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
"The Lord said that he was perfect. But if you go read about what Job said, he wouldn't even say that he was perfect. He would put his hand over his mouth."
"That's what Satan do. And he is waiting to get you. I got the world. I got those that believe in different gods. I got the fornicators. So who am I trying to get? I'm trying to get those that's close to the Lord."
"Why did Satan say that? Because a lot of people do that. A lot of people love God, love God, love God, until you touch what he had. Till you touch their substance, until you touch their job, or touch their children, or touch a family member."
Job 1:13-22 KJV13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
"You got to be prepared not only for the good, but you got to also be prepared for the bad. He fell down upon the ground and worshipped. But what if you lose all that you have? What if you lose one of your loved ones? You got to say the same thing. The Lord gave and the Lord take it away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
"You can love something so much, and what if the Lord take it away from you? Can you go on? Do you have the strength to go on? It would be entirely hard for me, but I know I got to keep going."
Job 2:1-6 KJV1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
"He hold fast his integrity with everything that happened to him. Sometimes he got to touch you. I know the Lord had allowed Satan to buffet me. The last time I had a serious injury was almost thirty years ago. He touched my bone and my flesh. I had to have my wife help me put my shoes on, because I couldn't move my arm. Sometimes God got to touch you in order to get your attention on something. That's what he did with Paul."
Job 3:1-5 KJV1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2And Job spake, and said,
3Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
Job 3:23-26 KJV23Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
"Job ain't went through nothing like this before. So at this point in time Job probably wasn't thinking right. He even hated his birth, because he went through so much. But notice he ain't saying nothing about God. He talking all about himself. He ain't cursed God one time."
"What about the things that you greatly feared have come upon you? That's why I tell people, with your family and your wife and your children, every day is special, because you can wake up one day without them. That's why you ain't got time to argue with one another. It's time to love."
And then Job the forty-second chapter, because he says all things work together for good.
Job 42:10-17 KJV10And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch.
15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.
17So Job died, being old and full of days.
"Job was in captivity to this. He didn't have a chain on his arm, but he was in captivity to it. He could have easily hated his friends in his heart from all of the things that they put him through. But Job still prayed for his friends. That's why I say don't hate the vessel. You got to hate the spirit that's behind the vessel."
"The Lord blessed Job in this life. He didn't even wait to give him the spiritual body. That's why we saying wait on God. If you go through something, you don't know what's going to be the latter end of the result. It's almost like he let Job start all over again."
11.Examine Me, O Lord, and Prove Me
Two Psalms, which he says are the things a servant has to do.
Psalm 4:1-8 KJV1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
"Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. That mean he added to you. That means he added to your understanding, added to your faith, added to your righteousness. That's what enlargement mean. When you in distress, that's what make you stronger. That's where you get your true strength from."
"When you lying in your bed, commune in your heart about what you got to do with your life for the Lord. You know what you got to do with your finances and your rent. But when you laying on your bed, you need to learn, what do I need to do to please you more? Because when you lie down, that's when Satan come at you the most."
Psalm 26:1-7 KJV1Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
4I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
7That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
"Who else walked in their integrity? Job walked in his integrity. That's what you want from the Lord. Sometimes that's what you need, because you might be walking wrong. You might be doing something against God that you don't know that you're doing. You might be falling off the wagon and you don't know that."
12.I Have Finished the Work Thou Gavest Me to Do
Back to the faithful servant, and he says now we go deal with Jesus.
St. John 17:1-11 KJV1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
"That's what you want to do. You want to finish. Look what Jesus did. He finished his course. He glorified the Father by healing the sick, raising the dead. I've been a faithful servant unto you, Father."
"The Father gave him all of the people that believed in him. That's why we can't have no schisms in the body. We got to be on one accord at all time."
And Isaiah the fifty-third chapter, for what the faithful servant got in return.
Isaiah 53:8-12 KJV8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
"It pleased the Lord to bruise him, because we read in Romans that he didn't even spare his own Son. He hath put him to grief. This was the big one. He put him to grief. He put Job to grief. God gonna put you to grief too. Sometimes you going to cry."
13.That Wicked and Slothful Servant, and the King Israel Asked For
Back to Saint Matthew the twenty-fifth chapter, to the man with the one talent.
St. Matthew 25:24-30 KJV24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"There go where your money is. At least I didn't steal it. The money you gave me, I took it and I hid it in the earth. So there it is. You go over there and go get it. That's basically what he said to the Lord."
"You don't want them words to come out of the Lord's mouth. You don't want to be called wicked and slothful, do you? This is the ones that don't want to work for God. I'm going to take away even that which you have when you lazy."
Then First Samuel, for a slothful nation and the king they asked for.
1 Samuel 8:1-5 KJV1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1 Samuel 8:10-22 KJV10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
"And his sons walked not in his ways. That is a bad thing to hear. Those that are raising children in the Lord, be thankful for that. Whether they young or old, you got to be thankful for that, because they could go the other way."
"You see how they always throw the old people away? Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. That's what they wanted. Israel always want that. He fixing to put them to work, but he fixing to put them to work for his own selfish greed. I ain't going to hear you in that day. That's what you wanted."
1 Samuel 31:1-6 KJV1Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.
3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
4Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
"Saul committed suicide. Saul can't repent for none of the sins that he did, because God already took him out. That's one sin that you can't repent for. Why? Because you already gone. You didn't have time to repent."
14.He Shall Sit Upon the Throne of His Glory
Saint Matthew the twenty-fifth chapter again, and he says this is the real king.
St. Matthew 25:31-46 KJV31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
"Now we getting ready to read about the real king. The king that's going to sit on that throne, and he is going to judge in righteousness. Not that Saul king. He going to bring all nations. He ain't just going to bring one nation. Jesus is the God of all people, all nations."
"You weren't doing nothing. You was a slothful servant. This is the white throne judgment. This is the end of the line. But if you go back and read at the beginning of Saint Matthew the twenty-fifth chapter, if you did what all God told you to do, he gonna say, his lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant. That's what you want."
15.Henceforth I Call You Not Servants, But Friends
The last spot, Saint John the fifteenth chapter, where he says the servant gets an upgrade.
St. John 15:7-16 KJV7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
"Once you get that five talents and you gain ten, he wants you to bear fruit. You as disciples, when you are bearing fruit, you adding to what God has already given you."
"That's when you his friends. When you do whatsoever he commands you. He commanded Noah to build an ark. What did Noah do? He went out and he built it."
"This is going to be a time he ain't going to call you a servant no more. Right now we reading about the faithful servant, but once you get the spiritual body, you going to upgrade a little bit. You going to have a greater job. You didn't choose the Lord, but he chose you, and he ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit."
St. John 15:17-25 KJV17These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
"They will love you if you was of the world. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. So we just want to throw this out here for those that's dealing with a little persecution. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. They have no excuse. They hated Jesus without a cause."
Closing Word
"And that is his Lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant. And we hope you got some understanding in Jesus name."
Brother Obadiah's point was that a servant belongs entirely to his master, and that the whole Christian walk is a job you either finish or you don't. Be watchful. Hold fast and repent. Keep your lamp burning and keep oil in it. Take whatever talent he handed you and add to it, whether it was five or two. Hold your integrity when he lets Satan touch what you love. And when your Lord comes and reckons with you, there are only two things left for him to say. One of them is well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
More Lessons
Come Worship With Us
This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.