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

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  1st Samuel chapter 30. Not to denote
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  anything that was said. I'll say this to
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  you this morning. If a man's got gold,
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  you know what he has a hard time doing?
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  Not talking about it.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Amen. If you got something better than
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  gold, you ought to say something about
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  it. Amen.
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  >> Amen. That's exactly right.
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  >> 1st Samuel chapter 30, let's read the
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  verse again. All right. And verse number
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  eight, the Bible said in 1st Samuel 30,
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  and David inquired at the Lord, saying,
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  "Shall I pursue after this truth? Shall
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  I overtake them?" And he answered him,
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  "Pursue! For thou shalt surely overtake
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  them, and without fail recover all."
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  When I think about this text and this
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  verse this morning, there are several
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  things that come to mind leading up to
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  this. But I my mind immediately when I
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  look at that word, I think about the
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  many different avenues. I remember when
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  I was coming up through uh middle
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  school, I was homeschooled through high
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  school, but in middle school, I went to
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  a public school. And I remember we had a
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  class and and it was called Project Lead
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  the Way. And I remember that class when
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  I was coming up in school and and I
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  remember the woman that taught this
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  class. It was just a little
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  extracurricular thing we had there at
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  the school. and it was encouraging the
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  entrepreneurial mindset. And I'll say
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  this, I I'm I'm a working man. I can
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  give you that this morning. Um if you
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  want to work a job, amen, you're going
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  to you'll find an advocate in the
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  preacher. Amen. I can tell you that
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  right now. I'll say this. I believe like
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  the Bible said, if a man don't work, he
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  don't eat. Amen.
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  >> But when I think about that class, I'm
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  reminded of what the teacher illustrated
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  to us about the pursuits. And it was
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  always a a a emphasis. It always seemed
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  to come back to on which avenue you
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  wanted to take. Now, we know that
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  there's all kinds of different things a
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  person can do. There's all kinds of
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  different pursuits or avenues that your
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  life can go down. But when I think about
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  this text, I'm reminded that there are
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  some pursuits that are superior to
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  others. And when I I preached a message
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  here at the church a while back directed
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  toward the young people about a cult for
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  Christ. And I made the statement. And I
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  said, 'Really, the only thing that
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  matters in your life at this point when
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  when you're uh, you know, 12, 13, all
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  the way up, really even up to 15, 16
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  years old, really, the only thing that
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  matters in your life is your labor for
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  the Lord.
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  >> It's not time for you to necessarily be
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  working a job. You ought to be keeping
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  the house. You ought to be helping your
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  mama. Uh, ladies with the dishes, boys,
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  too. Amen. And boys, you ought to be
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  helping your dad outside cleaning up the
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  yard and working and things like that.
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  But your primary focus should be the
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  work of the Lord. And that is an
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  honorable pursuit. But I'll say this,
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  even before that, when you get saved, I
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  got saved at the age of seven years old.
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  But I'm I'm afraid that at seven, I was
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  very unaware. I know I was unaware of
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  this pursuit that I want to reveal to
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  you in the text this morning. Now, those
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  of you that was in Sunday school, you
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  know where I'm headed with this this
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  morning. And so I want to just put this
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  out there one more time as a plug for
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  Sunday school. Amen. If you want to know
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  what the preacher is talking about when
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  he says they know from Sunday school
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  what I'm talking about, come to Sunday
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  school. Amen. You'll get a blessing. I
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  promise. All right. It ain't but an hour
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  earlier. Amen. Set your clock an hour
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  forward. But enough of that. Okay. What
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  I want to tell you this morning is this
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  army in the text. David has met up
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  against the Amalachites. In the text,
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  they have taken his wives and their
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  children according to verse number two.
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  They burned the city that David is
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  dwelling in with fire in the text. And
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  the Bible says that David and all the
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  men that were with him. Some 600 men
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  lifted up their voice and wept in verse
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  number four. And I want to say this to
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  you this morning. Those Amalachites
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  represent a type and picture of your
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  flesh and my flesh. And let me say this.
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  Anything in your life that is destroyed,
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  anything that in your life is decaying
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  is flesh. Amen. The Bible says that all
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  flesh is grass and the grass witherth,
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  the flower fadeth, but the word of our
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  God shall stand forever. And so your
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  life, you say, "Preacher, well, I'm
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  getting older and I'm growing." But you
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  understand that every day that you grow,
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  amen, you're already dying. Amen. From
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  the time that a baby is conceived, that
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  death process is reigning in their
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  flesh. There are cells that are dying
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  off and fading away. There's skin cells
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  and there's all types of different
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  things. What I'm saying is because of
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  sin, you are a decaying individual. And
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  this destruction that has come into
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  David's life here in the text, amen, has
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  came to him because he has forgotten
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  about a battle with his flesh.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Said this to Sunday school this morning.
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  David neglected his family because he
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  was too worried about the world. David
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  in chapter 29 has yolked himself up with
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  the world. Amen. Y'all loosen up a
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  little bit. All right, we just if we get
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  through testifying and the preacher
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  can't preach, the testimonies wasn't
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  much good. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> All right, y'all help me preach this
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  morning. All right, I'm saying this text
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  here reveals to us that David has failed
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  the Lord. David has walked away from
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  God. As we preached last week, he's been
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  on the wrong side of the battle. And out
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  of that, amen, the Bible tells us here
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  in the text, the Amalachites come that
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  type of the flesh while he is too
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  preoccupied with the world. They come
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  and take his family away from him. And
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  we notice out of this all the distress,
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  all the despair, all the desire that
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  these men had to stone David in verse
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  number six. And the Bible said in verse
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  six that David was greatly distressed.
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  For the people spake of stoning him
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  because the soul of all the people was
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  grieved every man for his sons and for
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  his daughters. And wouldn't you agree
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  this morning if it if you had been in
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  this situation, you was just simply
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  following David and after this fact, you
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  come back home and you find that because
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  of David's decision, your wife is gone
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  and your children is gone and your house
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  is burned down. And so they're desiring
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  here to stand against their leader
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  because David has failed them. And let
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  me say this to you this morning. You're
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  not going to live too long in this world
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  before you realize that the people you
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  esteem the highest are going to be the
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  ones that fail you the greatest. Amen.
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  David missed the mark in this text. But
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  I'll say this, David didn't allow that
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  to stop him. Amen. And I don't know
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  about you, but aren't you thankful for
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  some people that even though they missed
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  the mark, even though they failed, even
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  though they stumbled, Amen. Number one,
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  they confessed that they messed up.
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  Amen. They admitted the fact that they
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  had failed. But you know what? They
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  didn't stop. Amen. The Bible says that a
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  just man fallth seven times, but he
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  riseth up again. Amen. And the Bible
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  says in verse number six, that David,
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  notice this, encouraged himself in the
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  Lord his God. Now, I want to give you
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  three things by way of introduction this
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  morning before we get to the message
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  concerning this thought of pursuing.
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  Amen. And I notice in this text there
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  are three things that proceed here or
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  there are three things that are entailed
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  in pursuing against the flesh in your
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  life. I notice in the text number one I
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  would say there is a quickening or
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  there's a quickened power that is
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  represented in verse number six. David
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  notice this encouraged himself in the
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  Lord his God. You say preacher what does
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  that mean? Well David found some
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  strength somewhere other than his flesh.
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  Amen. David found some strength not from
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  a person, not from a place, not even
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  from a position, but he found some
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  strength in the power and the presence
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  of Almighty God. Hey friend, he had to
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  get to a solitary place. Sometimes to be
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  quickened, you're going to have to get
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  quiet. Amen. I think our problem in this
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  day and time, maybe we're talking just a
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  little bit too much. Amen. Maybe we
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  ought to spend some more time down on
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  our knees. Maybe we ought to spend some
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  more time in the solitary place. Amen.
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  in quietness because friend that's where
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  you going to get quickened at. Amen.
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  DAVID FINDS SOME POWER IN THE PRIVATE
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  PLACE. AMEN. And I notice that out of
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  that the Bible reveals to us not only
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  his quickened power I would say in the
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  text but I it also reveals to us the
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  questions of his prayer. Notice the
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  Bible says in verse 7 and David said to
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  by far the priest a himch son I pray
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  thee bring me hither the ephod. And by
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  far brought thither the ephod to David.
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  Notice verse eight. And David inquired
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  at the Lord saying, "Shall I pursue over
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  after this truth, shall I overtake
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  them?" And so David here in the text is
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  revealing to us his prayer. And this
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  prayer reveals to us first of all the
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  frailty of David.
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  >> You say, "What do you mean?" Well, David
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  didn't know whether he was going to win.
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  >> Let me say this, child of God. Every day
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  you get up, you don't know if you're
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  going to make it through the day
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  >> in victory. You say, "What do you mean?"
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  Well, I'm saying you might fail before
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  the day lets out.
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  >> I'll tell you this. Some of the days
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  I've had the best beginning.
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  >> Some of the days I wake up and pray and
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  read my Bible and I'm ready to charge
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  hell with a water pistol. Amen. It ain't
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  even lunchtime before the devil's hit me
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  blindsided. Amen. Hey, I didn't know
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  what was coming. And you don't know
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  what's coming either. But I'll say this,
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  there's a God that does. Amen. And David
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  questions. He asked the right question.
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  He says, "Lord, shall I pursue after
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  this troop?" And he then he asked not
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  only about the pursuing in the text, but
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  he also asked here about the protection.
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  He says, "Shall I overtake them?
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  Will there be victory?" Let me ask you
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  this. You ought to rise up every day and
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  ask the Lord, "Lord, I need victory
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  today."
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  >> Amen.
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  >> You say, "Preacher, well, David asked if
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  there would be victory." See, here's the
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  difference. You already know there'll be
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  victory,
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  >> right?
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  >> Amen. You just got to pray and ask the
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  Lord to help you claim it,
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  >> right?
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  >> That'll help somebody if you let it.
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  Amen. Like I've said a thousand times,
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  I'm going to say it a thousand and1.
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  We're not fighting for victory. We're
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  fighting what? From victory. Amen. We've
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  already won this morning. But I'll say
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  this. We ought to rise up with that
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  power, but we ought to rise up in prayer
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  and ask the Lord. And I'll say this, the
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  next thing I notice is not the
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  quickening, but the qu in the question,
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  but I see the quickness of David in
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  verse number nine. Look what the Bible
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  says. So David went. If you want a
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  three-fold recipe for victory, amen, you
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  take that power and you take that prayer
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  and you fold that thing over into piety.
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  Amen. You put your faith in shoe
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  leather. Amen. And that is a process for
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  victory. Amen. And I'll give you the
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  message this morning, David in the text,
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  the Bible says later on in the chapter
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  that they recover all. They go and get
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  his wives. They go and get the children.
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  And they spoil the Amalachites and
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  destroy them. And let me say this to you
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  today, child of God. Your flesh does not
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  have to destroy you, but you can live
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  and defeat your flesh. And you will have
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  to do it if you're going to live the
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  Christian life.
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  >> Right?
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  >> I can tell you this, victory is
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  possible. Amen.
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  >> Let me say this. For a child of God, it
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  ought to be promised. It is promised.
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  Amen. But it ought to be perpetual.
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  That's the word I was looking for.
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  Notice verse eight. You said, "Preacher,
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  what's the message this morning?" Well,
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  God gives an answer to David's prayer in
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  this text. And the first thing he says
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  in the text, notice that in verse number
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  eight, he answered him, "Pursue,
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  pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake
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  them, and when thou fail, recover all."
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  When I think about this thought of
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  pursuing this morning, you see, there's
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  some requirements that come into play. I
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  want to say this. If you're going to
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  have victory in this day and time over
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  your flesh and over the world, you're
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  going to have to have an answer from
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  God.
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  >> And I think this is where a lot of us
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  are at, too. We're we're trying to go on
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  and answers that we've had from the
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  past. But you understand, you know, the
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  the the worst prayers are unpaid
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  prayers.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> You realize that
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  >> God can't answer a prayer you don't
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  pray.
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  >> Right. Amen.
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  >> And so, here's why we're missing it.
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  We're we're refusing to ask. Amen.
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  because, well, God answered before, and
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  I'll just let that continue to be my
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  answer. Well, you ought to talk to him
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  every day.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Because his mercies are new every
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  morning. His compassions fail not. You
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  need forgiveness today just like you
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  will tomorrow. And just like you will
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  the day after that because you've got a
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  battle today, you'll have a battle
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  tomorrow. SOMEBODY HELP THE PREACHER
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  THIS MORNING. You got a battle today,
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  you'll have a battle tomorrow, and you
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  have a battle the day after that. And if
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  you're not asking, here's what's going
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  to happen to you. YOU GOING TO COME UP
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  IN DEFEAT, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND you need
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  to pray. You don't just stop at praying.
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  DON'T JUST BE SATISFIED WITH THE ACTION,
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  BUT YOU PRAY UNTIL YOU GET AN ANSWER.
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  AMEN.
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  >> Notice the text. David in the text, God
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  says, "And he answered him." Ain't that
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  wonderful?
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Isn't it wonderful? Hey, I don't want to
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  miss that. All right. You realize how
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  big that is? Amen. that the God of
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  heaven does is anybody in the building
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  >> that the God of heaven would take time
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  not just to hear
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  >> but to help.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Amen. Not just to acknowledge YOUR
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  PRAYER BUT TO answer it. Amen.
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  >> God has an answer for him. You say,
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  "Preacher, what's the answer?" Well, in
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  the fight for your flesh, I think
• 13:52
  there's three things that you need to
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  understand. And all of these come upon
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  the promise of God. Now, David has asked
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  here in the text, he has received power
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  from the Lord. He has made his prayer
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  unto the Lord and his piety is mentioned
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  that he was faithful to go. But I see
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  this in the text in verse number eight.
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  You see, it's more than just optional to
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  David.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Let me say this to you, child of God.
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  Victory is not optional.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Amen. You've got to have it.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> And you say, "Preacher, how is that?"
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  Well, it's found in that word pursue.
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  You see, that word pursue implies a
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  demand.
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  >> David says in verse number eight, "Shall
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  I pursue after this truth?" David puts a
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  question. And he says, "Lord, I don't
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  know if this is what you want me to do
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  at this point in time, but when God
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  answers, you know what God is doing?" He
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  is saying, "Presently, it is my demand.
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  It is a command for you to pursue." And
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  you know what your the command for you
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  and I is today that we are to pursue.
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  You say, "Preacher, what am I pursuing?"
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  Well, you are to be pursuing your flesh.
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  >> You say, "How is that?" Well, you got to
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  kill it.
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  >> That's right. daily.
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  >> You know what? The first pursuit you
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  ought to have every day
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  >> is the flesh.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> That's true.
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  >> You got to take it out.
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  >> You say, "What do you mean by that?"
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  Well, this is faith's demand. Notice
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  that. You say, "Preacher, how do I know
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  that?" Well, God said it. He answered
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  him, "Pursue." But you know what? At
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  that word pursue, David didn't know that
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  there was victory promised.
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  >> You're right. David didn't know that,
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  hey, it was going to turn out all right
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  on the other side.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> All he knowed is that God said, go.
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  >> You know what? Not every day of our life
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  are we going to know that there's
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  victory promised.
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  >> But when God says go, you better go.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> You've heard it said this way. He didn't
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  say go and see results.
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  >> He didn't say go and make millions. He
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  didn't say go and and save the world. He
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  said go.
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  >> That's all he said.
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  >> You go and you teach them. And what they
• 15:52
  do is going to be up to them.
• 15:54
  >> Amen. And in this text, faith's demand
• 15:56
  is that we are to pursue. You think
• 15:58
  about this. David did not run
• 16:00
  frantically to the battle and
• 16:01
  frustration.
• 16:03
  >> What would you have done?
• 16:06
  >> His wives are gone. You're right.
• 16:08
  >> His children are gone.
• 16:10
  >> All of his army, all of their wives and
• 16:12
  children are gone. They're they're
• 16:13
  they're screaming. They're crying.
• 16:15
  They're weeping. They're ready to kill
• 16:16
  David. And instead of David saying, "All
• 16:19
  right, boys. Let's go." You know what he
• 16:21
  does? He withdraws.
• 16:24
  What does he do? He encourages himself
• 16:27
  in the Lord. That's right.
• 16:28
  >> He finds some power. You're
• 16:30
  >> right.
• 16:31
  >> Let me say this. You need power from God
• 16:33
  before you need to make your request to
• 16:34
  him. You're
• 16:35
  >> right.
• 16:37
  >> This is what we do a lot of times. We
• 16:39
  come to God. God, you got to fix this.
• 16:41
  God, you got to fix this. God, I can't
• 16:43
  handle this. You're going to have to
• 16:44
  take care of it. You know what David did
• 16:46
  before he did that? He went to the Lord
• 16:49
  and said, "Lord, I just need you."
• 16:51
  >> Right?
• 16:52
  >> Amen.
• 16:52
  >> What does the Bible say? He encouraged
• 16:54
  himself. That's personal.
• 16:56
  >> But it's also private in the Lord.
• 16:59
  >> That's a transaction between two people.
• 17:02
  >> Right?
• 17:02
  >> David encouraged himself in the Lord his
• 17:04
  God. And then he makes a request.
• 17:07
  >> You know the reason why we don't have
• 17:08
  answers a whole lot of times? Because we
• 17:10
  don't have power. You're
• 17:11
  >> right.
• 17:12
  >> You say, "What is that, preacher?" Well,
• 17:13
  the Bible tells us according to Romans
• 17:15
  chapter 8 that it's the spirit that
• 17:18
  maketh intercession for us with
• 17:19
  groanings which cannot be uttered. You
• 17:21
  understand your prayer is not going to
• 17:23
  even get out of your mouth as far as
• 17:25
  getting to heaven goes if you don't have
• 17:26
  the power of the Holy Ghost in your
• 17:28
  prayer. Jude talks about praying in the
• 17:31
  Holy Ghost. He is the medium through
• 17:34
  which your prayer gets to Jesus. AND IF
• 17:36
  YOU DON'T HAVE POWER, YOU WILL NOT YOUR
• 17:39
  PRAYER WILL NOT REACH GOD. That's right.
• 17:42
  >> It's faith's demand
• 17:44
  >> pursue. Let me say this. He didn't
• 17:47
  frantically run to battle and
• 17:49
  frustration, but he waited in patient
• 17:51
  submission to God. You say, "Preacher,
• 17:53
  why did he do that?" Because he realized
• 17:55
  that if he run to Amalecch in his flesh,
• 17:57
  you know what he would be doing? He
• 17:58
  would be fighting them the same way they
• 18:00
  were going to fight him.
• 18:01
  >> Y
• 18:02
  >> Let me say this. You can't defeat your
• 18:03
  flesh the way it defeats you.
• 18:05
  >> You're right.
• 18:08
  It's going to hang over your head. And
• 18:10
  you know what? You're going to fall to
• 18:12
  it every time.
• 18:13
  >> Right.
• 18:13
  >> You got to go to something that's bigger
• 18:14
  than it is.
• 18:15
  >> Amen.
• 18:16
  >> You got to go to something that has more
• 18:18
  authority than it does.
• 18:19
  >> When it has a word for you, you've got
• 18:21
  to have a word for it.
• 18:23
  >> Amen. What was that word? God said,
• 18:25
  "David, pursue."
• 18:28
  >> You've got to have a word from God
• 18:30
  because it's not a carnal battle.
• 18:32
  >> Put this verse in your margin. I know
• 18:34
  you Sunday school people, you've already
• 18:36
  heard it, but you need to hear it again.
• 18:38
  Listen to what he says. 2 Corinthians
• 18:40
  chapter 10.
• 18:42
  I want you to turn there with me. 2
• 18:44
  Corinthians 10. Listen to what Paul says
• 18:46
  to the Corinthian church.
• 18:48
  He says 2 Corinthians 10 and verse
• 18:50
  number three.
• 18:53
  2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk
• 18:55
  in the flesh, we do not war after the
• 18:59
  flesh. For the weapons of our warfare
• 19:02
  are not carnal, that's fleshly, but
• 19:05
  mighty through God to the pulling down
• 19:08
  of strongholds, casting down
• 19:10
  imaginations, and every high thing that
• 19:14
  exaltth itself against the knowledge of
• 19:16
  God, and bringing into captivity every
• 19:19
  thought to the obedience of Christ.
• 19:21
  Verse three again, for though we walk in
• 19:23
  the flesh, we do not war after the
• 19:25
  flesh. Right?
• 19:26
  >> The Bible tells in the book of Romans
• 19:28
  says, "For they that live after the
• 19:30
  flesh shall die."
• 19:32
  >> If you walk in the flesh, Paul told the
• 19:33
  Galatian church, he said, "They that sow
• 19:35
  to the flesh shall of the flesh reap
• 19:37
  corruption." That's death.
• 19:40
  >> And when you follow the flesh, you say,
• 19:42
  "Preacher, well, I'm fighting against
• 19:44
  the flesh." Well, it does not matter the
• 19:46
  amount of discipline. It does not matter
• 19:48
  the amount of desire that you have. You
• 19:50
  will fall every single time because the
• 19:53
  flesh cannot be coraled. It cannot be
• 19:56
  curved and it cannot be corrected. The
• 19:58
  flesh must be utterly consumed. You're
• 20:01
  >> right.
• 20:03
  >> Destroyed.
• 20:04
  Dead.
• 20:06
  The Bible says in Romans 6, he tells us
• 20:08
  there in Romans 6, how shall we that are
• 20:10
  dead to sin live any longer therein? You
• 20:13
  see that old man, you are dead to sin.
• 20:16
  But you got to put the OLD MAN TO DEATH
• 20:18
  WITH THAT DEATH THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD
• 20:20
  IN. YOU SAY, "PREACHER, I don't
• 20:21
  understand that." Well, you've got to
• 20:23
  realize this morning, you cannot fight
• 20:26
  your flesh by the flesh.
• 20:30
  >> If a man has problem with fornication,
• 20:33
  there's no fleshly program that he can
• 20:35
  do to get over that.
• 20:37
  >> If a man has problem with alcohol,
• 20:39
  there's not a mount of 12step program
• 20:41
  that's going to get that taste out of
• 20:43
  his mouth. That if a man has problem
• 20:45
  with lying, there is no amount OF
• 20:48
  REFORMATION CARNALLY THAT THAT MAN can
• 20:50
  do to quit lying. YOU HEAR ME, CHURCH?
• 20:52
  HE NEEDS A CHANGE ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE
• 20:55
  IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS
• 20:58
  AND YOU CAN REFORM THE OUTSIDE. YOU CAN
• 21:00
  PICTURE UP THE OUTSIDE AND MAKE IT
• 21:03
  PURITY. YOU CAN DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS
• 21:05
  ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IF GOD NEVER DOES A
• 21:08
  WORK ON THE INSIDE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW
• 21:11
  WHAT REAL CHANGE IS. AMEN.
• 21:16
  >> PURSUE.
• 21:19
  >> PURSUE. There's people that turn over a
• 21:21
  new leaf all the time.
• 21:24
  >> There's people that make professions,
• 21:25
  but they have no presence.
• 21:27
  >> They'll they'll come to the altar and
• 21:29
  they'll pray, but there is no presence
• 21:30
  of God that comes into their life. I'm
• 21:33
  saying, friend, the mark for me is
• 21:34
  knowing whether or not the presence of
• 21:36
  God bears witness with me. Amen. Hey,
• 21:39
  friend, if a man's preaching or a lady's
• 21:41
  speaking or testifying, there's
• 21:43
  something on the inside. If they got God
• 21:45
  in them, the God in me says, "Hey,
• 21:47
  friend, that's real." Amen. HEY FRIEND,
• 21:50
  THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT THAT'S MORE
• 21:52
  THAN JUST CARNAL. YOU CAN TELL THE
• 21:54
  DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF GOD,
• 21:56
  IT'S THE POWER, THE PRESENCE OF GOD THAT
• 21:59
  makes it different. And you say,
• 22:00
  "Preacher, what's the mark of them that
• 22:02
  aren't saved?" Well, they're pursuing.
• 22:04
  They're constantly WANTING TO DIE TO
• 22:07
  THEMSELVES.
• 22:10
  >> People that can't put it down. People
• 22:12
  that can't get over it. People that
• 22:15
  can't get victory no matter how hard
• 22:16
  they try. You see, their problem is
• 22:19
  they're still pursuing in the flesh.
• 22:21
  You're
• 22:21
  >> right.
• 22:22
  >> You got to have the power of almighty
• 22:24
  God. You see, I see not only the faith's
• 22:28
  demand here. You say, "How is that faith
• 22:30
  demand?" Well, he was just going to have
• 22:32
  to believe the word of God.
• 22:33
  >> You're right.
• 22:34
  >> You know what, child of God? The only
• 22:35
  way you're going to have victories if
• 22:36
  you just believe that book. You're
• 22:38
  >> right.
• 22:39
  >> You can have victory this morning.
• 22:42
  >> I see faith demand. I also see the
• 22:45
  flesh's defeat in verse number eight.
• 22:47
  And he answered him, "Pursue." Notice
• 22:49
  this, "For thou shalt surely overtake
• 22:52
  them." You say, "What does that entail,
• 22:54
  preacher?" Well, it reveals to us this,
• 22:56
  that when David needed an answer, God
• 22:58
  had it for him.
• 22:59
  >> You're right.
• 22:59
  >> But it was stringent upon his obedience.
• 23:02
  But after he knew that David was going
• 23:04
  to obey. This is what I love about God.
• 23:06
  All right? God knew that David was going
• 23:08
  to listen to him. And so, he tells
• 23:10
  David, says, "All right, you're going to
• 23:12
  overtake them."
• 23:14
  >> Why is that? Because David had asked,
• 23:16
  >> right? You have not because you look
• 23:19
  what he says in the text. For thou shalt
• 23:21
  surely overtake them. And that means
• 23:24
  complete dismissal. That means complete
• 23:28
  destruction. You see, there is no marker
• 23:30
  in that verse that says, "Well, you're
• 23:32
  going to almost get it."
• 23:35
  You know what? There is no room for
• 23:37
  almost in the work of God. Right?
• 23:41
  >> Judas. If there's anybody that ever had
• 23:43
  the almost, it was Judas.
• 23:46
  He lived. He He worked for God. He
• 23:49
  seemingly loved Jesus. Maybe at one time
• 23:51
  he even kissed him. But you know what?
• 23:54
  That didn't get him anywhere, did it?
• 23:56
  >> Right?
• 23:57
  >> There's a lot of people that'll live and
• 23:58
  die with an almost.
• 24:00
  >> The gripper told Paul, "What did he tell
• 24:02
  him?" He said, "Almost. Thou persuadest
• 24:03
  me
• 24:04
  >> to be a Christian." But you know what?
• 24:06
  Almost is altogether lost.
• 24:10
  >> But I'll say this for our life. The
• 24:12
  Bible tells us in the text, he says,
• 24:14
  "Thou shalt surely overtake them." Does
• 24:16
  anybody need victory?
• 24:17
  >> Amen.
• 24:18
  >> There's so much more I want to say, but
• 24:19
  God ain't going to let me say it.
• 24:20
  >> That's right.
• 24:21
  >> Do you need victory this morning?
• 24:22
  >> Amen.
• 24:23
  >> Victory is promised. That's
• 24:24
  >> right.
• 24:25
  >> Amen.
• 24:26
  >> Why are we defeated?
• 24:28
  >> Why?
• 24:29
  >> It's promised.
• 24:30
  >> Come on.
• 24:30
  >> He said, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely
• 24:32
  overtake them." Notice this. And I'm
• 24:34
  done. Lord ain't going to let me preach
• 24:36
  it. There's a command. There's a
• 24:38
  confirmation.
• 24:40
  David, you need to pursue. That's his
• 24:42
  command. For thou shalt surely overtake
• 24:43
  them. That's the confirmation. If you
• 24:45
  go, it'll be taken care of. But then
• 24:47
  notice this. And without fail, recover
• 24:51
  all.
• 24:53
  You see, David didn't even ask about
• 24:55
  that.
• 24:56
  >> Verse eight, he said, "Shall I pursue
• 24:58
  after this troop? Shall I overtake
• 25:00
  them?" Well, God said, "Yeah, you'll
• 25:02
  overtake them." But his answer didn't
• 25:04
  stop there.
• 25:05
  >> You're right.
• 25:06
  >> God ever give you more of an answer than
• 25:08
  you wanted?
• 25:08
  >> Amen.
• 25:09
  >> Amen. Look what he says. And without
• 25:12
  fail recover all you see what David
• 25:16
  didn't know was, and don't miss this,
• 25:18
  church.
• 25:19
  >> David didn't know if his wives were
• 25:20
  alive.
• 25:21
  >> You're right.
• 25:23
  >> David didn't know if them children were
• 25:24
  alive.
• 25:24
  >> You're right.
• 25:25
  >> David didn't know that any of them was
• 25:27
  even still around.
• 25:29
  >> He didn't know where they are. He didn't
• 25:31
  know what shape they were in. You're
• 25:32
  right.
• 25:32
  >> He didn't know what had happened to them
• 25:34
  because he'd missed his post, didn't he?
• 25:37
  He failed because he was too loyal to
• 25:38
  the world when he was wor he was more
• 25:40
  worried about the world than he was his
• 25:41
  family. But isn't it good that God just
• 25:43
  gives him a little insight?
• 25:45
  >> Amen.
• 25:45
  >> You going to recover all David says,
• 25:48
  "Well, I didn't know if they would even
• 25:49
  be okay."
• 25:53
  >> Maybe I wonder what you don't know
• 25:55
  about.
• 25:56
  >> Amen.
• 25:58
  >> You say, "Preacher, what do you mean?"
• 26:00
  I'm saying, "Well, the difference
• 26:01
  between you knowing and not knowing
• 26:03
  might be a prayer."
• 26:04
  >> Amen.
• 26:06
  You say, "Preacher, but I didn't get the
• 26:08
  answer today." Well, that shouldn't stop
• 26:09
  you from praying tomorrow
• 26:12
  >> because the answer comes on his time,
• 26:15
  >> not ours. Amen. Notice what the Bible
• 26:18
  says. And without fail recover all and
• 26:20
  so there's the command to pursue.
• 26:22
  There's the confirmation, for thou shalt
• 26:25
  surely overtake them. But think of the
• 26:26
  consolation that David received when God
• 26:29
  said, "David, you're going to recover it
• 26:31
  all."
• 26:31
  >> That's not just his wives. That's not
• 26:33
  just his children, but that's every
• 26:35
  man's wife AND EVERY MAN'S CHILDREN.
• 26:38
  THAT'S ALL. That's all. YOU SAY,
• 26:40
  "PREACHER, WHAT DOES ALL MEAN?" IT MEANS
• 26:42
  ALL. AMEN. He didn't lose none. Amen.
• 26:45
  And aren't you thankful, man? I feel a
• 26:47
  glory bubble IN MY SOUL. AMEN. JESUS
• 26:50
  SAID THEM THAT THE FATHER'S GIVEN TO ME,
• 26:52
  of them I've lost NONE. AMEN. HE KEPT
• 26:55
  THEM ALL. He preserved THEM ALL. AND LET
• 26:57
  ME SAY THIS TO YOU AND I. EVERY ONE OF
• 27:00
  THOSE ANIMALS THAT GOT ON NOAH'S HEART,
• 27:02
  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM MADE IT ACROSS
• 27:04
  THE FLOOD. AND YOU SAY, "PREACHER, WHAT
• 27:06
  DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS TEXT?" IT
• 27:08
  TELLS ME THAT YOU CAN HAVE VICTORY AND I
• 27:11
  CAN HAVE VICTORY IN JESUS CHRIST. WE CAN
• 27:15
  DEFEAT THE FLESH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A
• 27:17
  CHAIN TO ADDICTION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE
• 27:20
  A CHAIN TO SIN. YOU CAN have victory and
• 27:24
  you can recover all. Amen.
• 27:27
  >> Amen.
• 27:30
  >> You say, "Preacher, what if I don't?
• 27:32
  What if I don't?" What's God say?
• 27:36
  >> Say, "Preacher, I don't know." Well,
• 27:37
  maybe it's time you ask him.
• 27:38
  >> Amen.
• 27:39
  >> Every head bowed and every eye closed
• 27:40
  this morning.
• 27:45
  You see, there is a war this morning.
• 27:48
  There's a war that's very evident in our
• 27:51
  lives. The flesh and the spirit.
• 27:54
  And you say, "Preacher,
• 27:57
  what about my family?" It's not about
• 28:00
  your family. You say, "Preacher, you
• 28:03
  said I could recover all."
• 28:06
  You see, the application is different.
• 28:08
  This is what you need to realize.
• 28:11
  The only place you can recover all in
• 28:13
  life is personally.
• 28:16
  All the joy you lose, you can have it
• 28:18
  back.
• 28:20
  All the peace you lost, you can have it
• 28:22
  back.
• 28:24
  Everything you lose personally, you can
• 28:26
  have back. You can't make decisions for
• 28:28
  others,
• 28:30
  but you can recover all for yourself.
• 28:32
  You say, "Preacher, how is that?" Well,
• 28:34
  David was fighting the flesh, the
• 28:35
  Amalocites.
• 28:37
  And when he recovered all,
• 28:40
  it was an representation to us, not
• 28:43
  literally that everybody that's astray
• 28:45
  in our life's going to come home. Not
• 28:48
  literally that every prodal is going to
• 28:50
  get right. Not literally that every
• 28:52
  family member is going to get saved, but
• 28:54
  it's an illustration to us that in your
• 28:56
  fight against the flesh. You can recover
• 29:00
  everything that you have lost
• 29:02
  from your flesh. You say, "Preacher,
• 29:04
  what do I need to do?"
• 29:06
  Well, let me ask you, as God said,
• 29:08
  pursue.
• 29:11
  Paul said this. He said, "I die daily."
• 29:17
  It's your choice,
• 29:20
  child of God. Did you die this morning?
• 29:23
  Say, preacher, what do you mean? I'm
• 29:24
  saying, are you pursuing the flesh? It's
• 29:27
  more than just one time a day. You see,
• 29:30
  this morning, this pull pit, I've had to
• 29:31
  die to my flesh two or three different
• 29:33
  times, probably more than that. You know
• 29:35
  why? Because it rears its ugly head.
• 29:39
  It's real good at coming back to life
• 29:41
  again.
• 29:44
  But you know what? I refuse to let the
• 29:45
  flesh take any more ground from me.
• 29:49
  I refuse to let this world influence my
• 29:53
  flesh to destroy me.
• 29:57
  Let me say this to you this morning. You
• 29:58
  say, "Preacher, I I really don't
• 30:01
  understand what you're talking about."
• 30:03
  Let me say this. Bible says that the
• 30:05
  carnal man, that's the natural man,
• 30:07
  receiveth not the things of God because
• 30:09
  they're spiritually discerned. And maybe
• 30:11
  the reason why you have no victory.
• 30:14
  There may be the reason why when you lay
• 30:16
  your head on your pillow at night and
• 30:17
  you have no peace about where you're
• 30:19
  going to spend eternity. Maybe the
• 30:21
  reason why you can't beat that
• 30:22
  addiction. And though you in your heart,
• 30:24
  you say, "Preacher, I don't want to be
• 30:25
  this way." You know what God's telling
• 30:27
  you right now? He loves you and he'll
• 30:30
  save you and he can change all that.
• 30:32
  That cursor can get saved. Them lips
• 30:36
  that loved alcohol can get saved. I
• 30:38
  talked to a man just last week and he
• 30:40
  told me this. He said, "Preacher, when I
• 30:42
  got right with God," he said, "God, he
• 30:44
  took all my desire away for that stuff."
• 30:46
  You know what? He can do that for you
• 30:48
  today. Hey, that stuff on the internet,
• 30:51
  you know you're not supposed to be
• 30:52
  looking at. Hey, God can take that from
• 30:54
  you. You say, "Preacher, what do I need
• 30:56
  to do?" He said, "Pursue."
• 31:01
  Say, "Preacher,
• 31:02
  I don't know how to." Well, you come to
• 31:04
  the one that'll give you deliverance.
• 31:05
  He'll save you today. You say,
• 31:08
  "Preacher, well then will it be okay?"
• 31:10
  Every day you're going to have to fight.
• 31:13
  Every day you're going to have to stand
• 31:15
  against him. But I'll tell you this,
• 31:17
  it'll be far better. Cuz you know what?
• 31:20
  If you continue on the road you're on,
• 31:22
  you're going to end up in hell. You'll
• 31:24
  end up lost forever and eternity without
• 31:27
  God. You said, "Preacher, I don't know.
• 31:29
  I'm saved." Would you pray for me? Slip
• 31:31
  your hand up. I'll pray for you this
• 31:33
  morning. Preacher, I don't know if I
• 31:36
  died right now that I'd be saved. That
• 31:38
  I'm saved. Preacher, would you pray for
• 31:39
  me? Let me ask you this. You say,
• 31:42
  "Preacher, I'm saved,
• 31:45
  but I'm losing.
• 31:48
  I'm losing the battle with my flesh."
• 31:50
  Preacher,
• 31:51
  how many of you be honest today? You
• 31:53
  say, "Preacher, I I'm not winning."
• 31:57
  You just slip your hand up. We'll pray
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  for you. Preacher, I'm not winning. God
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  sees that.
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  God sees that. Any others? Be honest.
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  Nobody looking around but me.
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  Let me say this. You can have victory
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  today.
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  You can have victory.
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  And it'll all come when you're obedient
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  to the command that he gives you.
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  Father, thank you for this day. Thank
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  you for this time, for the opportunity
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  to preach your word. Lord, I know we're
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  nothing without you. God, I ask humbly
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  that you would help us this morning.
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  God, for every heart that's here, I pray
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  they'd receive help. But Lord, for
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  those, God, that we're honest this
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  morning. I pray this morning that they
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  would receive help. Lord, as God,
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  they've been honest with you.
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  Lord, if I've been honest, God, there's
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  many days that I stumble,
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  that I fail to pursue the flesh the way
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  I should, to put it to death,
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  Lord, to chase it down and take its life
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  because, Lord, I let it get ahead of me
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  many times, speak for me, say things
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  that I shouldn't say, Lord, act in a way
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  that I shouldn't act. Because Lord, most
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  of us, Father, I hope most of us, Lord,
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  don't struggle with fornication or
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  alcohol or
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  habitual lying.
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  God, most of us just struggle with being
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  obedient to you,
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  just doing what we're supposed to do
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  every day. Lord, would you help us,
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  Father, to put the flesh to death,
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  Lord? Thank you for loving us. Thank you
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  for dying for us. Thank you for life,
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  for liberty, for freedom, to serve you
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  and worship you. And God, we give you
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  praise for what you've done, for all
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  that you're going to do, cuz we ask it
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  in Jesus name. Amen.
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  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
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  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
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  the next time you are able at Meadows
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  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
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  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
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  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
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  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
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  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
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  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
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  information, visit us at
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  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
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  Thanks again for tuning in.