When Self Becomes the Center | Obadiah

Phillip Bates
Nov 7, 2025
4 min read

Sermon Guide for November 9, 2025

How to Use This Guide:

These guides are designed to help you engage more deeply with my weekly sermon, regardless of your life stage. Use this guide to prepare your heart to receive God's Word before worship, or to reflect on God's Word the week following worship.

Parents, use the information in this guide (especially in the "For Families" section) to have meaningful conversations with your kids that nurture their faith and help them grow in God’s love.

Sermon Preview

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but it carries one of the Bible's biggest messages: God opposes pride. When the nation of Edom built their fortresses high in the mountains and sneered down at their defeated relatives (Israel), they became consumed by arrogance and self-sufficiency. God’s message to them was clear: the higher you soar like an eagle, the harder and faster you will fall.

But this message isn't just about Edom. This sermon argues that the spirit of Edom lives in all of us. This sermon will expose the two faces of pride that are constantly battling for the center of your life:

The Arrogant Face: The proud, boastful self who thinks, "I'm invincible, I don't need God."
The Hidden Face: The insecure, self-hating self who constantly thinks, "I'm worthless, God couldn't possibly want me."

The surprising truth? Both have the same problem: Self is at the center of the universe. We’ll discover that true humility is found not in thinking less of yourself, but in thinking of yourself less—and how the Gospel is the only remedy for both forms of self-obsession.

Key Takeaways & Insights

Pride is Universal: The word "Edom" (the target of judgment) is spelled almost identically to "Adam" (The Hebrew word for humanity). The problem of pride is intrinsic to the human condition.

The Deception of the Heart: Pride's primary mechanism is self-deception. It convinces the arrogant that they are stronger than they are (like Edom in their mountain fortress) and convinces the self-hating that they are failures beyond hope.

The Pride Diagnostic: A very simple way to gauge the state of your heart is to ask: "How is my prayer life?" A person who is self-sufficient sees no need to pray; a truly humble person cannot stop praying.

The Gospel Solution: The cross of Christ resolves both sides of the pride equation:
- It humbles the self-sufficient by declaring that all have sinned and are utterly dependent on God's grace.
- It lifts the self-condemned by declaring them a new creation, infinitely valued, and forgiven in Christ.

Deeper Dive & Exercises for the Week

This sermon challenges us to step off the throne of self-focus. Use these exercises to shift your attention back to God and others.

For the Arrogant/Self-Sufficient (The "I'm Awesome" Side)

If your heart is prone to self-reliance, you are climbing the mountain of Edom. These exercises are designed to bring you to dependence on God:

The Prayer Gauge Reset:
- Focus: Think about the areas of your life where you feel most confident and in control (e.g., finances, career, intelligence).
- Exercise: For one week, begin every day by listing three things you have absolutely no control over. Turn these into honest, dependency prayers to God, admitting your need for His intervention and guidance.

The Humility of Judgment:
- Focus: A proud person is a harsh judge. When you hear of someone's sin or failure, is your first thought, "Can you believe they did that?" (a sign of pride) or, "That same impulse lives in me too"?
- Exercise: Actively look for someone this week (a family member, co-worker, or public figure) you tend to judge. Pray for them, asking God to reveal their dignity and your shared need for grace.

For the Insecure/Self-Hating (The "I'm Awful" Side)

If your heart is consumed by shame and weakness, you are still fixated on self. These exercises are designed to shift your focus to Christ's finished work:

Identity Replacement:
- Focus: When you make a mistake, what is the script running in your head? Is it "I am a failure/worthless," or "My Father forgives me and I am new in Christ"?
- Exercise: Every time you hear the self-condemning voice this week, intentionally replace it with the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17 ("Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!").

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness:
- Focus: Low self-esteem often paralyzes us out of fear of failure.
- Exercise: Commit to one act of genuine, unseen service this week (e.g., writing an anonymous thank-you note, helping a neighbor without being asked). Focus entirely on their need, not your performance. Experience the freedom of C.S. Lewis's definition of humility: thinking of yourself less.

For Families: The "Me vs. Others" Game

The core lesson of the sermon is that pride makes everything about me. Humility makes it about God and others. Use this simple question to engage your children this week:

The Focus Check: At the dinner table or during car rides, ask: "Tell me about a time today when you were playing the 'Me Game' (focused only on what you wanted, what you felt, or your success/failure), and a time when you played the 'Others Game' (focused on someone else's need or feelings)."

Why it matters: This teaches them the vocabulary of self-focus vs. self-forgetfulness, setting them up to understand the dual nature of pride—Whether they’re bragging or moping, it helps them see that pride isn’t just about arrogance—it’s about putting me in the center instead of God.