Pursue - 6/7/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

Welcome to the podcast of Meadows

Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. We're so glad you joined us

today. If you enjoy today's message, be

sure to subscribe, follow, and share

with your friends. Now, let's join

Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from

God.

1st Samuel chapter 30. Not to denote

anything that was said. I'll say this to

you this morning. If a man's got gold,

you know what he has a hard time doing?

Not talking about it.

>> You're right.

>> Amen. If you got something better than

gold, you ought to say something about

it. Amen.

>> Amen. That's exactly right.

>> 1st Samuel chapter 30, let's read the

verse again. All right. And verse number

eight, the Bible said in 1st Samuel 30,

and David inquired at the Lord, saying,

"Shall I pursue after this truth? Shall

I overtake them?" And he answered him,

"Pursue! For thou shalt surely overtake

them, and without fail recover all."

When I think about this text and this

verse this morning, there are several

things that come to mind leading up to

this. But I my mind immediately when I

look at that word, I think about the

many different avenues. I remember when

I was coming up through uh middle

school, I was homeschooled through high

school, but in middle school, I went to

a public school. And I remember we had a

class and and it was called Project Lead

the Way. And I remember that class when

I was coming up in school and and I

remember the woman that taught this

class. It was just a little

extracurricular thing we had there at

the school. and it was encouraging the

entrepreneurial mindset. And I'll say

this, I I'm I'm a working man. I can

give you that this morning. Um if you

want to work a job, amen, you're going

to you'll find an advocate in the

preacher. Amen. I can tell you that

right now. I'll say this. I believe like

the Bible said, if a man don't work, he

don't eat. Amen.

>> But when I think about that class, I'm

reminded of what the teacher illustrated

to us about the pursuits. And it was

always a a a emphasis. It always seemed

to come back to on which avenue you

wanted to take. Now, we know that

there's all kinds of different things a

person can do. There's all kinds of

different pursuits or avenues that your

life can go down. But when I think about

this text, I'm reminded that there are

some pursuits that are superior to

others. And when I I preached a message

here at the church a while back directed

toward the young people about a cult for

Christ. And I made the statement. And I

said, 'Really, the only thing that

matters in your life at this point when

when you're uh, you know, 12, 13, all

the way up, really even up to 15, 16

years old, really, the only thing that

matters in your life is your labor for

the Lord.

>> It's not time for you to necessarily be

working a job. You ought to be keeping

the house. You ought to be helping your

mama. Uh, ladies with the dishes, boys,

too. Amen. And boys, you ought to be

helping your dad outside cleaning up the

yard and working and things like that.

But your primary focus should be the

work of the Lord. And that is an

honorable pursuit. But I'll say this,

even before that, when you get saved, I

got saved at the age of seven years old.

But I'm I'm afraid that at seven, I was

very unaware. I know I was unaware of

this pursuit that I want to reveal to

you in the text this morning. Now, those

of you that was in Sunday school, you

know where I'm headed with this this

morning. And so I want to just put this

out there one more time as a plug for

Sunday school. Amen. If you want to know

what the preacher is talking about when

he says they know from Sunday school

what I'm talking about, come to Sunday

school. Amen. You'll get a blessing. I

promise. All right. It ain't but an hour

earlier. Amen. Set your clock an hour

forward. But enough of that. Okay. What

I want to tell you this morning is this

army in the text. David has met up

against the Amalachites. In the text,

they have taken his wives and their

children according to verse number two.

They burned the city that David is

dwelling in with fire in the text. And

the Bible says that David and all the

men that were with him. Some 600 men

lifted up their voice and wept in verse

number four. And I want to say this to

you this morning. Those Amalachites

represent a type and picture of your

flesh and my flesh. And let me say this.

Anything in your life that is destroyed,

anything that in your life is decaying

is flesh. Amen. The Bible says that all

flesh is grass and the grass witherth,

the flower fadeth, but the word of our

God shall stand forever. And so your

life, you say, "Preacher, well, I'm

getting older and I'm growing." But you

understand that every day that you grow,

amen, you're already dying. Amen. From

the time that a baby is conceived, that

death process is reigning in their

flesh. There are cells that are dying

off and fading away. There's skin cells

and there's all types of different

things. What I'm saying is because of

sin, you are a decaying individual. And

this destruction that has come into

David's life here in the text, amen, has

came to him because he has forgotten

about a battle with his flesh.

>> You're right.

>> Said this to Sunday school this morning.

David neglected his family because he

was too worried about the world. David

in chapter 29 has yolked himself up with

the world. Amen. Y'all loosen up a

little bit. All right, we just if we get

through testifying and the preacher

can't preach, the testimonies wasn't

much good. You're

>> right.

>> All right, y'all help me preach this

morning. All right, I'm saying this text

here reveals to us that David has failed

the Lord. David has walked away from

God. As we preached last week, he's been

on the wrong side of the battle. And out

of that, amen, the Bible tells us here

in the text, the Amalachites come that

type of the flesh while he is too

preoccupied with the world. They come

and take his family away from him. And

we notice out of this all the distress,

all the despair, all the desire that

these men had to stone David in verse

number six. And the Bible said in verse

six that David was greatly distressed.

For the people spake of stoning him

because the soul of all the people was

grieved every man for his sons and for

his daughters. And wouldn't you agree

this morning if it if you had been in

this situation, you was just simply

following David and after this fact, you

come back home and you find that because

of David's decision, your wife is gone

and your children is gone and your house

is burned down. And so they're desiring

here to stand against their leader

because David has failed them. And let

me say this to you this morning. You're

not going to live too long in this world

before you realize that the people you

esteem the highest are going to be the

ones that fail you the greatest. Amen.

David missed the mark in this text. But

I'll say this, David didn't allow that

to stop him. Amen. And I don't know

about you, but aren't you thankful for

some people that even though they missed

the mark, even though they failed, even

though they stumbled, Amen. Number one,

they confessed that they messed up.

Amen. They admitted the fact that they

had failed. But you know what? They

didn't stop. Amen. The Bible says that a

just man fallth seven times, but he

riseth up again. Amen. And the Bible

says in verse number six, that David,

notice this, encouraged himself in the

Lord his God. Now, I want to give you

three things by way of introduction this

morning before we get to the message

concerning this thought of pursuing.

Amen. And I notice in this text there

are three things that proceed here or

there are three things that are entailed

in pursuing against the flesh in your

life. I notice in the text number one I

would say there is a quickening or

there's a quickened power that is

represented in verse number six. David

notice this encouraged himself in the

Lord his God. You say preacher what does

that mean? Well David found some

strength somewhere other than his flesh.

Amen. David found some strength not from

a person, not from a place, not even

from a position, but he found some

strength in the power and the presence

of Almighty God. Hey friend, he had to

get to a solitary place. Sometimes to be

quickened, you're going to have to get

quiet. Amen. I think our problem in this

day and time, maybe we're talking just a

little bit too much. Amen. Maybe we

ought to spend some more time down on

our knees. Maybe we ought to spend some

more time in the solitary place. Amen.

in quietness because friend that's where

you going to get quickened at. Amen.

DAVID FINDS SOME POWER IN THE PRIVATE

PLACE. AMEN. And I notice that out of

that the Bible reveals to us not only

his quickened power I would say in the

text but I it also reveals to us the

questions of his prayer. Notice the

Bible says in verse 7 and David said to

by far the priest a himch son I pray

thee bring me hither the ephod. And by

far brought thither the ephod to David.

Notice verse eight. And David inquired

at the Lord saying, "Shall I pursue over

after this truth, shall I overtake

them?" And so David here in the text is

revealing to us his prayer. And this

prayer reveals to us first of all the

frailty of David.

>> You say, "What do you mean?" Well, David

didn't know whether he was going to win.

>> Let me say this, child of God. Every day

you get up, you don't know if you're

going to make it through the day

>> in victory. You say, "What do you mean?"

Well, I'm saying you might fail before

the day lets out.

>> I'll tell you this. Some of the days

I've had the best beginning.

>> Some of the days I wake up and pray and

read my Bible and I'm ready to charge

hell with a water pistol. Amen. It ain't

even lunchtime before the devil's hit me

blindsided. Amen. Hey, I didn't know

what was coming. And you don't know

what's coming either. But I'll say this,

there's a God that does. Amen. And David

questions. He asked the right question.

He says, "Lord, shall I pursue after

this troop?" And he then he asked not

only about the pursuing in the text, but

he also asked here about the protection.

He says, "Shall I overtake them?

Will there be victory?" Let me ask you

this. You ought to rise up every day and

ask the Lord, "Lord, I need victory

today."

>> Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, well, David asked if

there would be victory." See, here's the

difference. You already know there'll be

victory,

>> right?

>> Amen. You just got to pray and ask the

Lord to help you claim it,

>> right?

>> That'll help somebody if you let it.

Amen. Like I've said a thousand times,

I'm going to say it a thousand and1.

We're not fighting for victory. We're

fighting what? From victory. Amen. We've

already won this morning. But I'll say

this. We ought to rise up with that

power, but we ought to rise up in prayer

and ask the Lord. And I'll say this, the

next thing I notice is not the

quickening, but the qu in the question,

but I see the quickness of David in

verse number nine. Look what the Bible

says. So David went. If you want a

three-fold recipe for victory, amen, you

take that power and you take that prayer

and you fold that thing over into piety.

Amen. You put your faith in shoe

leather. Amen. And that is a process for

victory. Amen. And I'll give you the

message this morning, David in the text,

the Bible says later on in the chapter

that they recover all. They go and get

his wives. They go and get the children.

And they spoil the Amalachites and

destroy them. And let me say this to you

today, child of God. Your flesh does not

have to destroy you, but you can live

and defeat your flesh. And you will have

to do it if you're going to live the

Christian life.

>> Right?

>> I can tell you this, victory is

possible. Amen.

>> Let me say this. For a child of God, it

ought to be promised. It is promised.

Amen. But it ought to be perpetual.

That's the word I was looking for.

Notice verse eight. You said, "Preacher,

what's the message this morning?" Well,

God gives an answer to David's prayer in

this text. And the first thing he says

in the text, notice that in verse number

eight, he answered him, "Pursue,

pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake

them, and when thou fail, recover all."

When I think about this thought of

pursuing this morning, you see, there's

some requirements that come into play. I

want to say this. If you're going to

have victory in this day and time over

your flesh and over the world, you're

going to have to have an answer from

God.

>> And I think this is where a lot of us

are at, too. We're we're trying to go on

and answers that we've had from the

past. But you understand, you know, the

the the worst prayers are unpaid

prayers.

>> You're right.

>> You realize that

>> God can't answer a prayer you don't

pray.

>> Right. Amen.

>> And so, here's why we're missing it.

We're we're refusing to ask. Amen.

because, well, God answered before, and

I'll just let that continue to be my

answer. Well, you ought to talk to him

every day.

>> You're right.

>> Because his mercies are new every

morning. His compassions fail not. You

need forgiveness today just like you

will tomorrow. And just like you will

the day after that because you've got a

battle today, you'll have a battle

tomorrow. SOMEBODY HELP THE PREACHER

THIS MORNING. You got a battle today,

you'll have a battle tomorrow, and you

have a battle the day after that. And if

you're not asking, here's what's going

to happen to you. YOU GOING TO COME UP

IN DEFEAT, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND you need

to pray. You don't just stop at praying.

DON'T JUST BE SATISFIED WITH THE ACTION,

BUT YOU PRAY UNTIL YOU GET AN ANSWER.

AMEN.

>> Notice the text. David in the text, God

says, "And he answered him." Ain't that

wonderful?

>> Amen.

>> Isn't it wonderful? Hey, I don't want to

miss that. All right. You realize how

big that is? Amen. that the God of

heaven does is anybody in the building

>> that the God of heaven would take time

not just to hear

>> but to help.

>> Amen.

>> Amen. Not just to acknowledge YOUR

PRAYER BUT TO answer it. Amen.

>> God has an answer for him. You say,

"Preacher, what's the answer?" Well, in

the fight for your flesh, I think

there's three things that you need to

understand. And all of these come upon

the promise of God. Now, David has asked

here in the text, he has received power

from the Lord. He has made his prayer

unto the Lord and his piety is mentioned

that he was faithful to go. But I see

this in the text in verse number eight.

You see, it's more than just optional to

David.

>> You're right.

>> Let me say this to you, child of God.

Victory is not optional.

>> You're right.

>> Amen. You've got to have it.

>> Amen.

>> And you say, "Preacher, how is that?"

Well, it's found in that word pursue.

You see, that word pursue implies a

demand.

>> David says in verse number eight, "Shall

I pursue after this truth?" David puts a

question. And he says, "Lord, I don't

know if this is what you want me to do

at this point in time, but when God

answers, you know what God is doing?" He

is saying, "Presently, it is my demand.

It is a command for you to pursue." And

you know what your the command for you

and I is today that we are to pursue.

You say, "Preacher, what am I pursuing?"

Well, you are to be pursuing your flesh.

>> You say, "How is that?" Well, you got to

kill it.

>> That's right. daily.

>> You know what? The first pursuit you

ought to have every day

>> is the flesh.

>> Amen.

>> That's true.

>> You got to take it out.

>> You say, "What do you mean by that?"

Well, this is faith's demand. Notice

that. You say, "Preacher, how do I know

that?" Well, God said it. He answered

him, "Pursue." But you know what? At

that word pursue, David didn't know that

there was victory promised.

>> You're right. David didn't know that,

hey, it was going to turn out all right

on the other side.

>> You're right.

>> All he knowed is that God said, go.

>> You know what? Not every day of our life

are we going to know that there's

victory promised.

>> But when God says go, you better go.

>> Amen.

>> You've heard it said this way. He didn't

say go and see results.

>> He didn't say go and make millions. He

didn't say go and and save the world. He

said go.

>> That's all he said.

>> You go and you teach them. And what they

do is going to be up to them.

>> Amen. And in this text, faith's demand

is that we are to pursue. You think

about this. David did not run

frantically to the battle and

frustration.

>> What would you have done?

>> His wives are gone. You're right.

>> His children are gone.

>> All of his army, all of their wives and

children are gone. They're they're

they're screaming. They're crying.

They're weeping. They're ready to kill

David. And instead of David saying, "All

right, boys. Let's go." You know what he

does? He withdraws.

What does he do? He encourages himself

in the Lord. That's right.

>> He finds some power. You're

>> right.

>> Let me say this. You need power from God

before you need to make your request to

him. You're

>> right.

>> This is what we do a lot of times. We

come to God. God, you got to fix this.

God, you got to fix this. God, I can't

handle this. You're going to have to

take care of it. You know what David did

before he did that? He went to the Lord

and said, "Lord, I just need you."

>> Right?

>> Amen.

>> What does the Bible say? He encouraged

himself. That's personal.

>> But it's also private in the Lord.

>> That's a transaction between two people.

>> Right?

>> David encouraged himself in the Lord his

God. And then he makes a request.

>> You know the reason why we don't have

answers a whole lot of times? Because we

don't have power. You're

>> right.

>> You say, "What is that, preacher?" Well,

the Bible tells us according to Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 that it's the spirit that

maketh intercession for us with

groanings which cannot be uttered. You

understand your prayer is not going to

even get out of your mouth as far as

getting to heaven goes if you don't have

the power of the Holy Ghost in your

prayer. Jude talks about praying in the

Holy Ghost. He is the medium through

which your prayer gets to Jesus. AND IF

YOU DON'T HAVE POWER, YOU WILL NOT YOUR

PRAYER WILL NOT REACH GOD. That's right.

>> It's faith's demand

>> pursue. Let me say this. He didn't

frantically run to battle and

frustration, but he waited in patient

submission to God. You say, "Preacher,

why did he do that?" Because he realized

that if he run to Amalecch in his flesh,

you know what he would be doing? He

would be fighting them the same way they

were going to fight him.

>> Y

>> Let me say this. You can't defeat your

flesh the way it defeats you.

>> You're right.

It's going to hang over your head. And

you know what? You're going to fall to

it every time.

>> Right.

>> You got to go to something that's bigger

than it is.

>> Amen.

>> You got to go to something that has more

authority than it does.

>> When it has a word for you, you've got

to have a word for it.

>> Amen. What was that word? God said,

"David, pursue."

>> You've got to have a word from God

because it's not a carnal battle.

>> Put this verse in your margin. I know

you Sunday school people, you've already

heard it, but you need to hear it again.

Listen to what he says. 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10.

I want you to turn there with me. 2

Corinthians 10. Listen to what Paul says

to the Corinthian church.

He says 2 Corinthians 10 and verse

number three.

2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk

2 Corinthians 10:3

in the flesh, we do not war after the

flesh. For the weapons of our warfare

are not carnal, that's fleshly, but

mighty through God to the pulling down

of strongholds, casting down

imaginations, and every high thing that

exaltth itself against the knowledge of

God, and bringing into captivity every

thought to the obedience of Christ.

Verse three again, for though we walk in

the flesh, we do not war after the

flesh. Right?

>> The Bible tells in the book of Romans

says, "For they that live after the

flesh shall die."

>> If you walk in the flesh, Paul told the

Galatian church, he said, "They that sow

to the flesh shall of the flesh reap

corruption." That's death.

>> And when you follow the flesh, you say,

"Preacher, well, I'm fighting against

the flesh." Well, it does not matter the

amount of discipline. It does not matter

the amount of desire that you have. You

will fall every single time because the

flesh cannot be coraled. It cannot be

curved and it cannot be corrected. The

flesh must be utterly consumed. You're

>> right.

>> Destroyed.

Dead.

The Bible says in Romans 6, he tells us

there in Romans 6, how shall we that are

dead to sin live any longer therein? You

see that old man, you are dead to sin.

But you got to put the OLD MAN TO DEATH

WITH THAT DEATH THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD

IN. YOU SAY, "PREACHER, I don't

understand that." Well, you've got to

realize this morning, you cannot fight

your flesh by the flesh.

>> If a man has problem with fornication,

there's no fleshly program that he can

do to get over that.

>> If a man has problem with alcohol,

there's not a mount of 12step program

that's going to get that taste out of

his mouth. That if a man has problem

with lying, there is no amount OF

REFORMATION CARNALLY THAT THAT MAN can

do to quit lying. YOU HEAR ME, CHURCH?

HE NEEDS A CHANGE ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE

IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS

AND YOU CAN REFORM THE OUTSIDE. YOU CAN

PICTURE UP THE OUTSIDE AND MAKE IT

PURITY. YOU CAN DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS

ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IF GOD NEVER DOES A

WORK ON THE INSIDE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW

WHAT REAL CHANGE IS. AMEN.

>> PURSUE.

>> PURSUE. There's people that turn over a

new leaf all the time.

>> There's people that make professions,

but they have no presence.

>> They'll they'll come to the altar and

they'll pray, but there is no presence

of God that comes into their life. I'm

saying, friend, the mark for me is

knowing whether or not the presence of

God bears witness with me. Amen. Hey,

friend, if a man's preaching or a lady's

speaking or testifying, there's

something on the inside. If they got God

in them, the God in me says, "Hey,

friend, that's real." Amen. HEY FRIEND,

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT THAT'S MORE

THAN JUST CARNAL. YOU CAN TELL THE

DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF GOD,

IT'S THE POWER, THE PRESENCE OF GOD THAT

makes it different. And you say,

"Preacher, what's the mark of them that

aren't saved?" Well, they're pursuing.

They're constantly WANTING TO DIE TO

THEMSELVES.

>> People that can't put it down. People

that can't get over it. People that

can't get victory no matter how hard

they try. You see, their problem is

they're still pursuing in the flesh.

You're

>> right.

>> You got to have the power of almighty

God. You see, I see not only the faith's

demand here. You say, "How is that faith

demand?" Well, he was just going to have

to believe the word of God.

>> You're right.

>> You know what, child of God? The only

way you're going to have victories if

you just believe that book. You're

>> right.

>> You can have victory this morning.

>> I see faith demand. I also see the

flesh's defeat in verse number eight.

And he answered him, "Pursue." Notice

this, "For thou shalt surely overtake

them." You say, "What does that entail,

preacher?" Well, it reveals to us this,

that when David needed an answer, God

had it for him.

>> You're right.

>> But it was stringent upon his obedience.

But after he knew that David was going

to obey. This is what I love about God.

All right? God knew that David was going

to listen to him. And so, he tells

David, says, "All right, you're going to

overtake them."

>> Why is that? Because David had asked,

>> right? You have not because you look

what he says in the text. For thou shalt

surely overtake them. And that means

complete dismissal. That means complete

destruction. You see, there is no marker

in that verse that says, "Well, you're

going to almost get it."

You know what? There is no room for

almost in the work of God. Right?

>> Judas. If there's anybody that ever had

the almost, it was Judas.

He lived. He He worked for God. He

seemingly loved Jesus. Maybe at one time

he even kissed him. But you know what?

That didn't get him anywhere, did it?

>> Right?

>> There's a lot of people that'll live and

die with an almost.

>> The gripper told Paul, "What did he tell

him?" He said, "Almost. Thou persuadest

me

>> to be a Christian." But you know what?

Almost is altogether lost.

>> But I'll say this for our life. The

Bible tells us in the text, he says,

"Thou shalt surely overtake them." Does

anybody need victory?

>> Amen.

>> There's so much more I want to say, but

God ain't going to let me say it.

>> That's right.

>> Do you need victory this morning?

>> Amen.

>> Victory is promised. That's

>> right.

>> Amen.

>> Why are we defeated?

>> Why?

>> It's promised.

>> Come on.

>> He said, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely

overtake them." Notice this. And I'm

done. Lord ain't going to let me preach

it. There's a command. There's a

confirmation.

David, you need to pursue. That's his

command. For thou shalt surely overtake

them. That's the confirmation. If you

go, it'll be taken care of. But then

notice this. And without fail, recover

all.

You see, David didn't even ask about

that.

>> Verse eight, he said, "Shall I pursue

after this troop? Shall I overtake

them?" Well, God said, "Yeah, you'll

overtake them." But his answer didn't

stop there.

>> You're right.

>> God ever give you more of an answer than

you wanted?

>> Amen.

>> Amen. Look what he says. And without

fail recover all you see what David

didn't know was, and don't miss this,

church.

>> David didn't know if his wives were

alive.

>> You're right.

>> David didn't know if them children were

alive.

>> You're right.

>> David didn't know that any of them was

even still around.

>> He didn't know where they are. He didn't

know what shape they were in. You're

right.

>> He didn't know what had happened to them

because he'd missed his post, didn't he?

He failed because he was too loyal to

the world when he was wor he was more

worried about the world than he was his

family. But isn't it good that God just

gives him a little insight?

>> Amen.

>> You going to recover all David says,

"Well, I didn't know if they would even

be okay."

>> Maybe I wonder what you don't know

about.

>> Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, what do you mean?"

I'm saying, "Well, the difference

between you knowing and not knowing

might be a prayer."

>> Amen.

You say, "Preacher, but I didn't get the

answer today." Well, that shouldn't stop

you from praying tomorrow

>> because the answer comes on his time,

>> not ours. Amen. Notice what the Bible

says. And without fail recover all and

so there's the command to pursue.

There's the confirmation, for thou shalt

surely overtake them. But think of the

consolation that David received when God

said, "David, you're going to recover it

all."

>> That's not just his wives. That's not

just his children, but that's every

man's wife AND EVERY MAN'S CHILDREN.

THAT'S ALL. That's all. YOU SAY,

"PREACHER, WHAT DOES ALL MEAN?" IT MEANS

ALL. AMEN. He didn't lose none. Amen.

And aren't you thankful, man? I feel a

glory bubble IN MY SOUL. AMEN. JESUS

SAID THEM THAT THE FATHER'S GIVEN TO ME,

of them I've lost NONE. AMEN. HE KEPT

THEM ALL. He preserved THEM ALL. AND LET

ME SAY THIS TO YOU AND I. EVERY ONE OF

THOSE ANIMALS THAT GOT ON NOAH'S HEART,

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM MADE IT ACROSS

THE FLOOD. AND YOU SAY, "PREACHER, WHAT

DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS TEXT?" IT

TELLS ME THAT YOU CAN HAVE VICTORY AND I

CAN HAVE VICTORY IN JESUS CHRIST. WE CAN

DEFEAT THE FLESH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A

CHAIN TO ADDICTION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE

A CHAIN TO SIN. YOU CAN have victory and

you can recover all. Amen.

>> Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, what if I don't?

What if I don't?" What's God say?

>> Say, "Preacher, I don't know." Well,

maybe it's time you ask him.

>> Amen.

>> Every head bowed and every eye closed

this morning.

You see, there is a war this morning.

There's a war that's very evident in our

lives. The flesh and the spirit.

And you say, "Preacher,

what about my family?" It's not about

your family. You say, "Preacher, you

said I could recover all."

You see, the application is different.

This is what you need to realize.

The only place you can recover all in

life is personally.

All the joy you lose, you can have it

back.

All the peace you lost, you can have it

back.

Everything you lose personally, you can

have back. You can't make decisions for

others,

but you can recover all for yourself.

You say, "Preacher, how is that?" Well,

David was fighting the flesh, the

Amalocites.

And when he recovered all,

it was an representation to us, not

literally that everybody that's astray

in our life's going to come home. Not

literally that every prodal is going to

get right. Not literally that every

family member is going to get saved, but

it's an illustration to us that in your

fight against the flesh. You can recover

everything that you have lost

from your flesh. You say, "Preacher,

what do I need to do?"

Well, let me ask you, as God said,

pursue.

Paul said this. He said, "I die daily."

It's your choice,

child of God. Did you die this morning?

Say, preacher, what do you mean? I'm

saying, are you pursuing the flesh? It's

more than just one time a day. You see,

this morning, this pull pit, I've had to

die to my flesh two or three different

times, probably more than that. You know

why? Because it rears its ugly head.

It's real good at coming back to life

again.

But you know what? I refuse to let the

flesh take any more ground from me.

I refuse to let this world influence my

flesh to destroy me.

Let me say this to you this morning. You

say, "Preacher, I I really don't

understand what you're talking about."

Let me say this. Bible says that the

carnal man, that's the natural man,

receiveth not the things of God because

they're spiritually discerned. And maybe

the reason why you have no victory.

There may be the reason why when you lay

your head on your pillow at night and

you have no peace about where you're

going to spend eternity. Maybe the

reason why you can't beat that

addiction. And though you in your heart,

you say, "Preacher, I don't want to be

this way." You know what God's telling

you right now? He loves you and he'll

save you and he can change all that.

That cursor can get saved. Them lips

that loved alcohol can get saved. I

talked to a man just last week and he

told me this. He said, "Preacher, when I

got right with God," he said, "God, he

took all my desire away for that stuff."

You know what? He can do that for you

today. Hey, that stuff on the internet,

you know you're not supposed to be

looking at. Hey, God can take that from

you. You say, "Preacher, what do I need

to do?" He said, "Pursue."

Say, "Preacher,

I don't know how to." Well, you come to

the one that'll give you deliverance.

He'll save you today. You say,

"Preacher, well then will it be okay?"

Every day you're going to have to fight.

Every day you're going to have to stand

against him. But I'll tell you this,

it'll be far better. Cuz you know what?

If you continue on the road you're on,

you're going to end up in hell. You'll

end up lost forever and eternity without

God. You said, "Preacher, I don't know.

I'm saved." Would you pray for me? Slip

your hand up. I'll pray for you this

morning. Preacher, I don't know if I

died right now that I'd be saved. That

I'm saved. Preacher, would you pray for

me? Let me ask you this. You say,

"Preacher, I'm saved,

but I'm losing.

I'm losing the battle with my flesh."

Preacher,

how many of you be honest today? You

say, "Preacher, I I'm not winning."

You just slip your hand up. We'll pray

for you. Preacher, I'm not winning. God

sees that.

God sees that. Any others? Be honest.

Nobody looking around but me.

Let me say this. You can have victory

today.

You can have victory.

And it'll all come when you're obedient

to the command that he gives you.

Father, thank you for this day. Thank

you for this time, for the opportunity

to preach your word. Lord, I know we're

nothing without you. God, I ask humbly

that you would help us this morning.

God, for every heart that's here, I pray

they'd receive help. But Lord, for

those, God, that we're honest this

morning. I pray this morning that they

would receive help. Lord, as God,

they've been honest with you.

Lord, if I've been honest, God, there's

many days that I stumble,

that I fail to pursue the flesh the way

I should, to put it to death,

Lord, to chase it down and take its life

because, Lord, I let it get ahead of me

many times, speak for me, say things

that I shouldn't say, Lord, act in a way

that I shouldn't act. Because Lord, most

of us, Father, I hope most of us, Lord,

don't struggle with fornication or

alcohol or

habitual lying.

God, most of us just struggle with being

obedient to you,

just doing what we're supposed to do

every day. Lord, would you help us,

Father, to put the flesh to death,

Lord? Thank you for loving us. Thank you

for dying for us. Thank you for life,

for liberty, for freedom, to serve you

and worship you. And God, we give you

praise for what you've done, for all

that you're going to do, cuz we ask it

in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Thank you for joining our service today.

We'd love it if you'd join us in person

the next time you are able at Meadows

Baptist Church. Our physical address is

2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. Our service times are Sunday

school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning

worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening

worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday

evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more

information, visit us at

meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.