Don’t Mourn What God Is Trying to Kill

Written By Adam Dragoon

Sermon Summary

The story of King David and his son Absalom in 2 Samuel 18 offers a powerful picture of the struggle between our spiritual calling and the persistent pull of our flesh. David, a man after God’s own heart, found himself mourning over a son who had become a threat not only to his throne but to the very kingdom God entrusted to him. Absalom, with his charm, good looks, and influence, represents the part of us that is attractive and appealing, yet rebellious and destructive. The tragedy is that David’s love for Absalom blinded him to the danger his son posed, just as we often cling to attitudes, habits, or relationships that are slowly undermining our spiritual lives.

The flesh, like Absalom, wars against the Spirit. It is not something to be coddled or treated gently, but something that must be confronted and crucified. Jesus’ words in Mark 9—if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off—remind us that radical action is sometimes necessary. We cannot negotiate with the flesh or hope it will simply fade away. Whatever we tolerate in our lives, whatever we refuse to judge or surrender, will eventually dominate us.

God, in His mercy, sends the Holy Spirit—our Joab—to confront us, to rebuke us, and to help us put to death the deeds of the body. Conviction is not rejection; it is the loving discipline of a Father who wants to see us free and whole. Sometimes, this means letting go of relationships, habits, or even cherished parts of our identity that are incompatible with God’s purpose for us. The stakes are high—not just for our own souls, but for the people God has called us to influence and serve. Our sanctification is not just about us; it is about the kingdom, about our families, and about the testimony we bear to the world.

Victory over the flesh is possible—not by our own strength, but by the power of the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead. We are called to stop mourning over what needs to die, to surrender our Absaloms, and to step into the fullness of life and purpose God has for us.

“Whatever we tolerate in our lives, whatever we refuse to judge or surrender, will eventually dominate us.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

  • [00:00] - Welcome

  • [01:06] - The Lord of the Rings and Smeagol: A Parable of Clinging

  • [02:10] - The Ring’s Destruction and Our Attachments

  • [03:24] - David’s Mourning and the Danger of Holding On

  • [06:23] - Absalom: The Allure and Rebellion of the Flesh

  • [13:54] - Jesus’ Radical Call to Crucify the Flesh

  • [17:11] - Aaron’s Sons: When God Says No

  • [18:54] - Joab’s Rebuke and the Work of the Spirit

  • [23:13] - Letting Go of Relationships That Hinder

  • [26:02] - The Spirit’s Confrontation and Conviction

  • [27:27] - The Loving Discipline of God

  • [31:50] - The Bigger Picture: Sanctification for the Kingdom

  • [34:22] - Victory Is Possible: The Spirit Empowers Us

  • [35:35] - Invitation to Repentance and New Life

  • [40:35] - Responding to God’s Call at the Altar

Key Takeaways

  1. The things we cling to—habits, attitudes, relationships—can become spiritual liabilities if they are not surrendered to God. Like David with Absalom, our emotional attachments can blind us to the destructive power of what we refuse to let go. True spiritual growth requires honest self-examination and the courage to release what is holding us back. [06:23]

  2. The flesh is not a minor inconvenience but a real enemy to our spiritual life. Scripture teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are at war, and anything we tolerate in our flesh will eventually dominate us. Crucifying the flesh is not a one-time event but a daily, sometimes painful, process of surrender and obedience. [13:54]

  3. God’s discipline and conviction are signs of His love, not His rejection. When the Holy Spirit confronts us, it is to align us with God’s heart and purpose, not to shame us. Embracing conviction as a gift allows us to experience deeper transformation and freedom. [27:27]

  4. Our sanctification is not just about personal holiness but about the greater kingdom purpose God has for our lives. The choices we make, the things we surrender, and the victories we win have ripple effects on our families, our church, and the world around us. A divided heart cannot lead a united kingdom; our obedience unlocks breakthrough for others. [31:50]

  5. Victory over the flesh is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not left to fight this battle alone; the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead empowers us to crucify our Absaloms and live in freedom. The call is to stop faltering between two opinions and to decisively choose to serve God with our whole hearts. [34:22]

Bible Reading

  • 2 Samuel 18:5, 14, 18 NKJV - 5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "[Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom. ... 14 Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was [still] alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ... 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which [is] in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.

  • Galatians 5:16-25 NKJV - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those [who are] Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

  • Mark 9:43-47 NKJV - 43 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- 44 "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' 45 "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- 46 "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' 47 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--

Observation Questions

  1. In 2 Samuel 18, what specific instructions did David give to his generals regarding Absalom, and how did Joab respond? [03:24]

  2. According to Galatians 5, what is the relationship between the flesh and the Spirit? How does Paul describe their interaction? [06:23]

  3. What radical action does Jesus command in Mark 9 for dealing with sin, and how does this compare to David’s approach to Absalom? [13:54]

  4. In the sermon, what are some examples given of things we might cling to that can become spiritual liabilities? [23:13]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why do you think David’s love for Absalom blinded him to the danger his son posed, both to himself and to the kingdom? What does this reveal about the power of emotional attachments? [03:24]

  2. The sermon compares Absalom to the “flesh” in our own lives. In what ways can something attractive or appealing also be destructive to our spiritual health? [06:23]

  3. Pastor said, “Whatever you tolerate will eventually dominate.” How does this principle play out in the story of David and Absalom, and how might it apply to our own lives? [13:54]

  4. The Holy Spirit is compared to Joab, who confronts and rebukes David. How should we respond when the Holy Spirit convicts us about something we need to surrender? [27:27]

Application Questions

  1. Is there an “Absalom” in your life—an attitude, habit, relationship, or desire—that you know is pulling you away from God, but you’re still holding onto it? What makes it hard to let go? [23:13]

  2. The sermon says, “Whatever we tolerate in our lives, whatever we refuse to judge or surrender, will eventually dominate us.” Can you think of a time when something you tolerated ended up controlling you? What would it look like to take radical action, as Jesus describes in Mark 9, to deal with it? [13:54]

  3. Pastor shared about having to let go of old friendships that were dragging him back into his old life. Are there relationships in your life that are hindering your walk with God? What steps could you take this week to set healthy boundaries or even say goodbye if needed? [23:13]

  4. When the Holy Spirit convicts you or says “no” to something in your life, do you tend to see it as rejection or as loving discipline? How can you shift your perspective to embrace conviction as a gift? [27:27]

  5. The sermon emphasized that our sanctification isn’t just about us, but about the people God has called us to influence. Who in your life might be affected by your obedience or disobedience? How does this bigger picture motivate you to pursue holiness? [31:50]

  6. Pastor said, “Stop mourning over what needs to die.” Is there something you’ve been grieving or reluctant to surrender, even though you know it’s holding you back? What would it look like to bring this to God in prayer and trust Him with it this week? [34:22]

  7. Victory over the flesh is possible through the Holy Spirit. What is one practical way you can invite the Holy Spirit to help you “crucify your Absalom” and walk in greater freedom this week? [34:22]

  • All of you this morning, let's open up our Bibles. This message I'm about to preach was inspired in a prayer meeting as I was reading my daily Bible readings. And I just want to give a shout out to the Word of God. I'm telling you, God is good. He's faithful to speak to us in our times of need.

    2 Samuel chapter 18. If you join me there, 2 Samuel chapter 18. We're going to read a story about King David that jumped off of the page—one of those times that the story you've read a hundred times, but for whatever reason connected in a new way.

    In 2 Samuel chapter 18, as we're opening that, how many have seen the saga called The Lord of the Rings? Some of you have seen it more than others. But in that great story by J.R. Tolkien, there is a character named Smeagol. And Smeagol is represented on screen and in the book as a horrible creature. He's bug-eyed and sweaty and naked and eats raw fish. He's a deceiver and he is driven by one thing: taking back the ring of power, which he views as his own, his precious. That's right.

    But what we don't know about Smeagol until later on is that he was not always that way. Smeagol was once a hobbit, just like Sam and Frodo. Many, many years ago, he was something he was telling us was, so. David Ibuilder. And I said, I didn't get a little bit of a lot of their. He said, I'm not really interested in regards to this. I'm now getting involved in his own—I mean, there's some of some people.

    And he was just a normal creature. But once he discovered the ring of power, he murdered his friend in order to capture it. And not only did he get the ring, but according to the story, the ring got him. And over time, it transformed him from a simple creature into something ugly.

    And if you know the end of the story, they're trying to get this ring all the way back to Mount Doom to destroy it. And it is, again, that creature, Smeagol, who finally gets the ring back. As he is falling into the lava of Mount Doom, he could not be happier—that his precious was finally returned to his own ownership as it destroyed him.

    And I was thinking about this message because, similar to Smeagol, unfortunately, there are things that you and I hold onto, even though we know it's dangerous. The ring of power in the story of The Lord of the Rings is a picture. It's been interpreted many different ways ever since it was written. But one of the ways we could interpret that ring of power is through the lens of spirituality—that there are things that we can hold onto, things that make us powerful, things that make us feel certain feelings, but end up doing greater damage and end up, if we don't let go of them, transforming us into shadows of our former self.

    And I want to preach a message about King David. In our scripture we're about to read, we are going to read about David mourning. David mourning. He is mourning over the loss of his son Absalom.

    I want to make the case to you today that Absalom needed to be judged. And in the same way that Smeagol held on to that which was destroying him, David also was holding on to a son which was destroying him and his kingdom. And I believe in this story we can all find something that maybe we're holding on to—something we're mourning over that we need to release.

    Let's read the scripture. Second Samuel chapter 18, verse 5. I'm going to skip around a little bit because of the length of this story, but stick with me. We're going to look at verses 5, 14, and 18.

    The word says:
    "Now the king had commanded Joab and Abishai, these are his mighty men, his generals, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." Absalom is David's son. And all the people heard when the king gave the captains' orders concerning Absalom.

    Verse 14:
    "Now remember, the king has just given orders to his general Joab to be gentle with Absalom. But here's Joab in verse 14, and it says: I cannot linger with you." He took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.

    Verse 18:
    "That Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the king's valley—for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's monument.

    Let's pray.
    Father, we come this morning, God, seeking Your will and purpose for our lives. You have called us to be purified, to be sanctified. Lord, the greatest work, the greatest good work that we can be a part of is Your work of sanctifying us, changing us from glory to glory into Your likeness and Your image.

    There are people here today, Lord, that You have called to a deeper level of righteousness and holiness. But God, there are things that hold us back—things of this world that we are grasping onto. And I pray, God, that You give us a heart to let go of those things which are destroying us today so that we can know You more fully and experience Your will for our lives.

    We give You glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, Amen.

    King David is known as a man after God's own heart. That's not just theologians who give him that description—that is not David himself who gives himself that description, but that is people who write about him. And even God gave him that title: a man after my own heart. And that's a powerful thing.

    Even though we know King David was far from perfect—his life was marked by sin, rebellion, murder—he was a war-torn king. And even through all of that, we get a picture of his heart. If you read the book of Psalms, you will see the heart not only of David but the heart of God and how He feels toward people.

    But what we read about in our scripture is not only David, but we also read about his son. He has a son named Absalom. I want to give you an introduction to this man Absalom for a few moments and make the case to you why I believe the Bible is showing us through the life of Absalom that there are things in our lives that we need to let go of.

    Absalom, I believe, is a spiritual representation of our flesh. You can make a connection between Absalom and the charm of the flesh. What does the Bible say about this son of David? In 2 Samuel chapter 14, verse 25, we receive a description of David's son Absalom:
    "Now in all Israel there was no one praised as much as Absalom for his good looks—from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. There was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head at the end of every year, he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels, according to the king's standard."

    People loved this guy. He was attractive. He had the heart of the nation. Not only that, but he had influence. According to 2 Samuel 15, verse 6:
    "Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." And so, acting in rebellion against his father, the king, the Bible says because he was attractive and because he had the hearts of the people, he began taking the place of the king in front of the people. Instead of taking their cases to the palace, they would go to Absalom. Why? Well, he looks good, he's smart, he's got all this heavy hair on top of his head—obviously, we should go talk to Absalom instead of King David.

    But the Bible also tells us that Absalom had a rebellious heart. I want to make a case to you today: there are some Absaloms in our lives as well. We have what the Bible calls the flesh. We have a part of us that does not want to serve God—a part that looks good but is rebellious.

    The Bible says in Galatians chapter 5:
    "The flesh wars against the spirit, and the spirit wars against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Romans 8:7 adds:
    "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

    As long as you are alive in this life, there is a part of you like Absalom—that is rebellious against God. That part of you is called the flesh. It’s the part that does not want to serve God. It’s the part of you that didn’t want to be in church this morning. It’s the part that wanted to stay in bed. It’s the part that doesn’t want to be accountable. It’s the part that wants to live in uncleanness.

    Or have we all become angels this morning? Am I the only one that still has a flesh? Our flesh is warring against the Spirit of God every day. And I believe that this story is given in the Word of God as a picture of how we are supposed to treat the flesh.

    In the story of Absalom, he is building his own kingdom. He is rebelling against his father, King David. He is even doing unspeakable things—taking his king’s concubines and engaging in various sexual escapades. But here’s the problem with the relationship between David and his son Absalom: the Bible says, as is natural, that David loves his son. David doesn’t want to see his son destroyed.

    And I believe in that relationship we can get a picture here: David has an emotional attachment to that which is killing him—killing his kingdom, killing his effectiveness. In fact, it gets so bad that Absalom takes the throne for himself and causes David to be cast out as an exile from his own kingdom. To the point where David can no longer sit on the throne of Israel until he deals with Absalom. He cannot be who God made him to be.

    I want to make the case to all of us this morning: there are things in your life—attitudes, ideas, actions, decisions—that like Absalom, we love and hold onto. But if we’re not willing to deal with them, we will never achieve or become the people God wants us to be.

    As disciples, we have to recognize those parts of us that are carnal and causing us to live as rebels. Here’s the point: David was too gentle with what needed to die.

    Now, you feel for David, and I feel for David as I read this story, because Absalom is still his son. He still loves his son. He’s mourning for his son. That’s why, in the scripture, we read he commanded his generals:
    "Deal gently with the boy. Deal gently with him."

    But this is a fatal kindness. What if they would have listened to his command? What if they would have followed his orders? Then Absalom would have remained alive, and David would have remained dethroned.

    And I want to make a point to us today: whatever we tolerate—whatever carnal ideas and appetites that we fail to judge—will become our masters.
    Whatever you tolerate will eventually dominate.
    Whatever you cannot crucify will become your master.

    This is why, when Jesus taught in Mark chapter 9, He said:
    "If your hand causes you to sin, what did He say to do with it?
    Put some lotion on it? Treat it kindly? Massage it?"
    No. "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out."
    Better to enter into glory with one hand and one eye than to spend eternity in hell with both hands and both eyes. Is that real enough for you?

    You cannot cast out the flesh; you have to crucify it. We treat our flesh like it’s a demon, but it’s not a demon. The devil knows how to inflame our flesh; he knows how to tempt us. But isn’t it in James where it says that sinful desires are born inside of us—our carnal desires—and the devil simply brings temptation? We must be willing to confront our Absalom.

    His dealings with Absalom teach us about ourselves. Our emotional indulgence can become a spiritual distraction. There’s a story in Leviticus chapter 10 I was reminded of while studying here. It’s the story of Aaron. We spoke about Aaron the priest. The Bible says that, as God was establishing His kingdom among the people of Israel, one of the things the priests were supposed to do was offer fire before the Lord—the fire to consume the sacrifice.

    The Bible says Aaron had two sons, Nadab and Abihu. They brought a profane fire to the Lord. The Bible does not explain exactly what that means, but we know it was not sanctioned by the Lord. In other words, they were bringing fire in a way that brought disgrace to God, and God did not allow that profane fire in His presence.

    Leviticus 10:2 says:
    "Fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord."
    Now, what’s interesting about that is not that they died—if we do something foolish, judgment is natural. What’s interesting is what Moses said to Aaron about the situation. Moses said to Aaron, in verse 6:
    "Do not uncover your heads or tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all your people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, be well—the burning which the Lord has kindled."

    In other words, don’t mourn your sons. Don’t weep over them. They died because they were being foolish. And you’re not going to spend time weeping over them, Aaron, because God did the right thing—even though that was painful for you.

    And can I remind you today: there will be times like that in your life when the Lord points at something in your heart—an attitude, a lie you’ve believed since before you were saved. When the Lord points at a piece of flesh, a ring you’re grasping onto, a habit, a lifestyle, a relationship—there are things we count as precious in our lives that God says, "Get it out of here. It’s killing you."

    But we tend to mourn like David did. We tend to be heartbroken, sullen. The Bible says:
    David, treating Absalom gently, with kid gloves. But the Bible also says that David has a man of valor—his mighty men. Men who have followed him in battle, men who have given him good counsel, men who have helped him, strengthened him, encouraged him—men who have been there for him through thick and thin, through the time when Saul was trying to destroy him, through his lowest points, even when he sinned with Bathsheba.

    When it comes to the issue of Absalom, they knew the situation well enough to know: this is one commandment we are not going to follow.

    The Bible speaks about Joab. In 2 Samuel 19, verse 5, it says:
    "Joab came into the house to the king, and he was about to rebuke King David."
    Watch this:
    "Today, king, you have disgraced your servants who have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and concubines—that you love your enemies and hate your friends."
    That is the issue for many believers: trying to serve God, trying to be disciples, but along the way, we begin to love the things that are actually our enemies—our pride, our ego, our material wealth.

    I say it’s time to say goodbye to Absalom today. The Spirit will execute what we are trying to preserve. And so, what we need to do, as we close, is we must die to our flesh and live according to the Spirit. Because the thing that’s at stake here is not just David and the throne; it’s not just Absalom and his fate. What’s truly at stake is the kingdom.

    There’s a bigger picture: David cannot fulfill his role as king, nor can his generals, nor can the people continue to thrive in the promises of God until he is willing to win back his role. There’s a bigger picture involved than just you. It’s not just about your personal preferences or sanctification.

    Thank God His goal is to sanctify us all into His likeness and image. But why does God sanctify us? Because it’s about others. It’s about your children, your family, who are looking at your testimony. It’s about fellow church members, brothers and sisters in Christ.

    I’m so torn about the situation with Michael Tate—I don’t know if any of you are aware of this. Michael Tate, one of the original members of DC Talk, and for the last 15 years, the lead singer of the Newsboys. Recently, he came out and said he’s had a long-term issue with sexual and drug addiction. It’s been under the surface. He posted a statement on social media that he’s gone to rehab. God is dealing with this in his life.

    And part of me rejoices—thank God he finally made it public, got it right, is on the track to recovery. Thank God. But the other part of me wonders: what about all those people he’s ministered to at his concerts? What about the millions of dollars he’s made selling Christian albums? What about the stain that he brings on the name of Jesus?

    There is grace, there is mercy—thank God. But there’s a bigger picture. The Lord wants to sanctify us because there’s a bigger picture in your life too. Jesus, the reason why Jesus had to be perfect was because that’s the only way His blood would be enough to save you from your sins.

    I’m not saying we will take the place of Jesus, but I am saying that your life reflects the name and the glory of God. Pastor Bill Johnson says:
    "Your obedience unlocks someone else’s breakthrough."
    The reason God saves us and sanctifies us is because we are not islands unto ourselves.

    David had a role to fulfill. So sanctification is simply preparation. A divided heart cannot lead a united kingdom. James 1:8 says:
    "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways."
    The reason Joab rebuked David was:
    "Stop weeping over your son, because it’s sending a message to the people. It’s saying to everyone else that they’re not worth it."

    Elijah confronted the people of Israel and asked:
    "How long will you falter between two opinions?"
    How long will you say that your struggle is against Elijah? Or that your war between the spirit and the flesh in your life? Listen, it is a war that we are all called to, but I believe you can be victorious. I don’t believe you have to be in defeat. I don’t believe you have to come to church every service with your head hanging low because of all the filth you were involved with last week.

    You don’t have to live that life. You can be victorious over sin. You can take control over the flesh. You can crucify the flesh in Jesus’ name by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hey, you got a Joab on your side, and he is invested in your holiness more than you are.

    So stop limping, faltering between two opinions. Make up your mind who you’re going to serve today. Don’t mourn over what needs to die.

    Jesus made it possible for us to live in victory. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in you. That’s good news. It means if the Spirit of God can raise a dead body out of the ground, then He can certainly help you to kill your Absalom.

    Let’s bow our heads for a few moments. We’re going to open up this altar for prayer. I believe God is dealing with some people. And thank God that He does deal with us. He deals with us as children because He cares about us and wants the best for us.

    And before we close this service, I simply want to give a gospel invitation. If you’re here today and you’re honest for a moment, you say, "Pastor, I’m not right with God. I’m not living for God. I don’t have a desire to serve God at this moment because my sin is too powerful. My love of the world, my lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes—it's in control in my life."

    And I recognize that my sin is destroying me. I’m grasping onto this world and my desires so tightly that I can see now— I can see it’s destroying me. If you can see it this morning, if you can sense the destruction that comes as a result of following your own desires, and God is opening up your heart right now, He’s helping you understand that sin is not the right way to live.

    If we’re going to be free from sin, it means we’re going to have to turn from that sin. It’s called repentance. Trusting in Jesus as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

    And if you’re willing to do that today, the Bible says: turn from sin and trust completely in Jesus. Then a miracle can occur in your life. It’s the miracle of salvation. It’s the miracle of being born again—a new life in Christ.

    And if He’s awakening your heart right now and opening up your mind in this moment, I want to pray with you. I want to lead you to salvation. The same salvation I experienced as a confused teenager. God transformed my life. I’m not the way I used to be.

    And there is hope in the good news of the gospel today. If you’ll turn to Him and turn from sin, if you’re honest this morning and say, "Pastor, I need what you’re talking about. I need a new life in Christ. I want my sins to be forgiven." If that’s you this morning, I want to pray with you. Would you lift up your hand quickly? Honest hearts in this place. You’d say, "Pastor, please pray for me. I don’t want to be judged. God would be right to judge me in my sin. But if You’d have mercy on a sinner like me, I want to respond." If that’s you, quickly slip up your hand right now.

    Unsaved, lost, or backslidden in your heart—He’s here to touch you and speak to you and transform you in a moment of time. Is that someone here? Quickly, with an uplifted hand. I’m not talking about getting religious or joining a church. I’m talking about a relationship with the living Savior. If you need that, right now, quickly, just slip up a hand without anybody looking around for a moment.

    Thank you. Is there anyone at all, quickly? God’s speaking. Amen.

    Let me speak to the church then. David was a man described by God as a man after His own heart. David had a lot of good things going for him. But in this instance, he was mourning over—and he was being gentle on—his son Absalom, who was rebelling, causing great problems and division. He was mourning over what was killing him.

    And I, when I read this story, I saw in myself some Absaloms that needed to die—some attitudes, some selfishness, some pride, some ego, some materialism. Maybe this morning you can see the work of Absalom in your life right now. You can see the flesh that remains uncrucified. You can still see that there are things that God is dealing with.

    And I want to tell you, He’s sending Joab right now—His best general—the Holy Spirit. He’s armed and dangerous right now, ready to crucify, to help you, to give up and surrender your life, your flesh, your carnal desires. They need to die at the altar.

    If you don’t deal with it now, it only gets worse later. And I believe, as God is speaking to us, that there is Holy Spirit conviction. There are people who are clinging onto things that God wants you to get rid of—ideas, attitudes, people, relationships.

    Can I make one last call? It’s not just about you and your life. It’s about who God has called you to be. You are supposed to be salt and light in this broken world. You’re supposed to be the hope for someone. And you can’t be that as long as you hold onto that source of carnality.

    Let’s stand up to our feet at this altar right now. I want to encourage you to come. If there is an Absalom in your life and the Holy Spirit is pointing at him today, I want to ask you to come and join me here at this altar. Let’s begin to cry out to God. We’re going to worship Him together. It’s a decision that we need to make.

    Lord, I see the problems that are being caused by this in my life. I need You to change. I need You to transform. I need You to redeem my life, my mind. If that’s you, quickly, why don’t you come? We’re going to pray together at this altar, or you can kneel down right where you are. Let’s begin to cry out to the Lord for a few moments, please. As God is dealing with people, let’s have an attitude of awe and reverence before the Lord. Let’s pray for a few moments.

    Lord, we thank You. Lord, we thank You.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Adam Dragoon
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