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We turn today to the book of First Kings chapter 18, verses 1 through 16. Our focus is on becoming a true influencer—a key word these days when everybody wants to be one. But we'll explore influencer through the lens of someone rarely discussed: Obadiah.
The narrative takes place during the reign of King Ahab of Israel, one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. Ahab was married to Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon and priest of Baal—a woman described as a witch. Because of their worship of Baal and other Sidonian gods, God sent the prophet Elijah with a judgment: a drought and famine lasting three years. Heaven was locked up; the keys were pocketed.
The atmosphere was extremely hostile to the worship of the true God, Yahweh. The prophets of Baal and Asherah were fed at the royal table, while the true prophets of God were being massacred by Jezebel. Child sacrifice was even introduced during this period.
In this dark context, we encounter Obadiah.
Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord and a senior government official—the one in charge of Ahab's palace, essentially the chief of staff. Despite being in an environment utterly dominated by Jezebel and Baal worship, Obadiah held fast to Yahweh.
Consider what Obadiah himself testifies: "I, your servant, have worshiped the Lord since my youth. Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, 50 in each, and supplied them with food and water."
He held on to Yahweh when he was young. He held on in his teenage years. He held on when he received promotion. He held on even when he reached high office. The majority of Israel had bought into the wicked political and cultic system, but not Obadiah.
When politics takes on the dimension of a cult, masses are often unreasonably drawn to cult leaders and blinded to reason. People throw away what they ought to cherish—their relationship with God, their values, their virtues—because they are pulled toward a cultic direction. Obadiah resisted this. Higher office often cools the soul, as they say, but Obadiah remained faithful to the things of God. He was not compromised by his environment.
We live today in a postmodern era, in an age of relativism and pluralism. People are stretching boundaries on how far they can go without integrity of faith, how far they can extend freedom without God. In workplaces, institutions, schools, offices, businesses, and the public arena, it is becoming extremely difficult to navigate when everyone around you is heading in a different direction.
The mantra we hear repeatedly: "Everyone is doing it. Corruption? Everyone is doing it. Shortcuts? Everyone is doing it." When you take the opposite direction and stand for truth, you feel embarrassed. Yet some of you have been placed in positions—perhaps background positions, not the front office—where you can cause influence, pull strings for your organization, institution, school, hospital, government office, or company. You know the ongoings. You know Jezebel is sacrificing people of integrity. What position do you take when things are not going the right way?
The late Dr. John Stott, an Anglican clergyman and former chaplain to the queen, said: "Another context for witness is the workplace. For it is here that most Christians spend half their working hours, and work is a divine calling. Christians can commend Christ by word of mouth, by their consistent industry, by honesty and by thoughtfulness, by their concern for justice in the workplace, and especially if others can see from the quality of their daily work that it is done for the glory of God."
Does your work testify that you are serving God? Do people who look behind the scenes where you are involved acknowledge that you are truly different?
We will only be able to influence culture—the music, the media, politics, education, business ethics, the financial world—when we are surrendered to the Lord and determined that even if everyone else is going west, we will head east because that is the Lord's direction.
Obadiah was a senior civil servant who had gained the trust of King Ahab. When important tasks needed to be done, Ahab gave them to Obadiah. Yet at the same time, he was secretly engaged with the prophets and sons of the prophets, hidden from Jezebel's discovery.
Although the majority of Israelites had bowed to worship Baal, Obadiah still held to his convictions about what was right and wrong. He was not moved by the crowd. He could still say, "I fear the Lord" despite being in an environment totally dominated by Jezebel.
Do you work in an environment where you feel alone? Does everyone around you seem to be worshipping Baal, speaking language you must navigate carefully, operating almost underground to keep your faith alive? Obadiah managed to hide several prophets of Yahweh even in this time.
I think of Reverend Frank Chikane from South Africa, an elder statesman who served as director general in the office of the deputy president under Mandela, then as director general of the presidency under Thabo Mbeki—the highest level of public service in South Africa. He was one of the most influential aides during Mandela's presidency.
At one point, fleeing the apartheid government, Chikane was a refugee in Kenya. Being a pastor, he was betrayed and arrested. The policeman torturing him in prison was one of his elders in the church. He wrote: "I ask you to pray with me and for my family of which I feel guilty because this decision puts them in danger. If I had been asked to choose a particular type of life to live, I would have chosen to live a normal life like other people. But now I am living a life that is not my own."
The calling we have received sometimes tempts us to live a normal life, to be like everyone else. But people like Obadiah who become true influencers have made a decision: We are living a life which is not our own. A life of impact. A life of influence that will bring many people to God.
It is my prayer that you and I will espouse the idea that God is calling us not to flow along with the crowd, not to be like everyone else, but to map a life totally different in the institutions where we are, in the arenas where we serve.
I continue to be disturbed by the school fires in our country. When children died recently in Gilgill, we sent teams from Nairobi, from CITAM Nakuru, with counselors to speak with heads of schools. Perhaps some of us need to be called to high school ministries. It may not be glamorous. It may not put you on TV. It may not be a celebrity arena. But quietly in that space, you will be making an impact in the lives of many people who will later shape this nation for God's glory and honor.
When I conduct a census anywhere, between ages 12 and 19, about 75 to 80 percent of people got saved during that period. May God send some of us into that field.
Although Obadiah's ministry was not profit-making in a worldly sense, it was impact-making. God allowed him to make contact with the prophet Elijah. But more than that, Obadiah did not practice a privatized faith—the kind that says, "Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, so personal that no one else ought to know about him."
No. Although underground, Obadiah was involved in advocacy. He was risking his own life, hiding those who were marginalized, seeking fairness, justice, and righteousness in his terrain. He did not mind risking his life to see that justice was done.
He was involved in humanitarian engagement: providing shelter, food, and water to those who were enemies of the powers in charge. He was looking for opportunities to engage with needy people. He was involved in national issues, looking for ways to sustain his country. During the drought, while the king went one direction, Obadiah went another—a man making influence for the welfare of the whole nation.
His faith was rounded. It was an activist faith, a faith that found expression. He gave feet and arms to his faith. It was not a dormant faith that could not be communicated. It reached out.
If Jezebel had found him hiding the prophets, he would certainly have been executed alongside them. But Obadiah debunks the idea that we only need a safe environment to practice our faith. He debunks the idea that we can only witness, only share, only be Christian when environments are safe and favorable.
To politicians among us, especially aspiring politicians, I have confronted many Christians who became members of parliament, and time and again they tell me, "That place is different. If you want to succeed, the law there is 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.'" But Obadiah shows us: You can be in an environment that is hostile and still remain firm, exercise your faith, and bring about influence.
He debunks the idea that Christendom—a government favoring Christian faith, companies tolerant to Christian expression, institutions with "hallelujah corners"—is necessary for effective witness. We can actually go against the current, against the trend, even in hostile environments and continue to exercise our faith.
He debunks the idea that the higher you go, the more you need to be a sycophant to make progress, including betraying your cause.
Obadiah stayed inside Ahab's palace. We are not saying you leave your position. He stayed. Not only did he stay, he made a difference where he was in spite of the difficulty. He was an influencer.
We need believers today in parliament who will stay there. We need some in media houses. We need some in universities and colleges. We need them in banks, in technological companies, in social media. We need them in hospitals, in NGOs, in schools. We need them in palaces. We need them in families. Individuals who will stay inspired by faith in the midst of hostility and still make a prophetic witness for the living God in that area.
Elijah played his role as a prophet in the desert and wilderness. Obadiah bore his witness in the palace. Both were serving the Lord. Not just clergy like Elijah, but civil servants, marketplace people, individuals engaged and making an impact for God's glory and honor.
The world celebrates celebrities, but heaven celebrates faithfulness. Elijah stood before kings. Obadiah served behind the scenes. Yet God used both of them. Some of you may never stand on a platform like this, but you may have your own space that God has created for you. Shape a company and make an impact. Transform a school or hospital. Raise godly children as a mother or father. Influence a profession. Save a life. Mentor a generation. Change a nation.
You do not really need fame to have influence. You just need faithfulness and courage.
Are you one of them—a true influencer in God's kingdom?
Our Father and God, we thank you for your word today. You are the Lord God who sees us. You see when we sit down and when we rise up. You hear every word in our mouth even before we speak it. You know us in the institutions where we work, in the business areas where we run our companies, in the boards where we sit, in the transactions we deal with. We submit ourselves to you and pray that you take preeminence and use us for your glory and honor.
I'd like to pray with those in very difficult environments, in challenging circumstances and situations. Perhaps the space you find yourself in may not appear favorable. Sometimes you are struggling. Sometimes you are alone. Sometimes you are victimized. If that is you, raise your hand right where you are.
[Hands are raised]
Father, you can see these brothers and sisters because of the space where you have put them right now. As we pray for them to remain there and bear witness for you, we pray that you give them courage, strength, and wisdom. When they need to do things secretly like Obadiah, help them to do that and become influencers for you. But more than that, Lord, in the final end, let their influence make an impact for the glory of your holy name. Let it be known that they stood out for God even in the midst of challenge. We commend them into your hands and ask that you take preeminence in their circumstances.
And if you are here today and would like to give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior—to become an influencer who knows Yahweh, to be born again—I'd like you to raise your hand as well. Anyone like that? Anyone in the balcony? Anyone downstairs?
[Hands are raised]
Thank you. Allow me to pray with you and commend you to the hands of the Lord.
Men, I'd like to invite you to rise up with me as we commend you into the Lord's hands.
Our Father and God, we come before your holy and eternal presence on behalf of these men standing before you, some watching online. We pray for each and every one. Some bear heavy responsibilities trying to be providers for the family in challenging circumstances. Some have difficulties in their backgrounds because of unwise decisions that may be following them. We pray that you give us courage to rectify what we need to rectify, to put it right, oh God. We pray that we would honor you with our lives so that in the final end, Christ will be exalted and glorified in and through us.
Take charge of our lives as we submit to you. Those of us who are fathers, help us to continue to be good examples and role models for our children, loving husbands to our wives. Be honored and glorified in us. We thank you. We praise you in Jesus name. Amen.
