Joyce Meyer - How Can I Have God's Peace? (08/21/2019)
Joyce Meyer teaches that peace is part of our inheritance in Christ – not something to keep begging for, but to access by revelation, walking in the Spirit, and refusing to let agitation rule. She urges pursuing peace aggressively, stopping negative self-talk, controlling emotions, and declaring daily that peace belongs to us as a blood-bought right.
Peace – Your Inheritance in Christ
An inheritance is something that's given to you. Something someone else has earned that is given to you as a gift. And Paul said, I pray that you would have revelation about the inheritance that is yours in Christ.
And then he went on to pray in verse 19 that they would also know the power that was available to them. To them and for them through Christ.
So, one of the things, one of the many wonderful things that are part of our inheritance is peace.
I spent way too many years of my life miserable. I spent many years of my life as a Christian miserable. Because I did not know how to access the peace that was mine through Christ.
I can tell you tonight that you never again have to pray for peace. Stop praying for things that you already have. And start asking God to give you revelation about what's yours in Him.
And to teach you how to walk in the Spirit and be in the Spirit. So what is in your Spirit can be usable to you in your everyday life.
Everything in God Is in You
How many of you believe that as a Christian, God is in you? You believe that. Alright, now. Here's a little piece of wisdom. If God is in you, then everything that's in Him is in you.
Everything that He has, you have. It's given to you as a gift from Him and intended for you to use.
He is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of Righteousness. He certainly was joyful. The Kingdom of God is not things. It's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. I don't think you can have peace until you know who you are in Christ.
And I don't think you can have joy until you have peace. I believe in Romans 14, 17 when it says the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy. That's why I think it actually comes in that order.
And I tell you, it is wonderful when you can enjoy peace every single day of your life.
No Weapon Formed Against You – Isaiah 54:17
Isaiah 54, 17. Let's take a look at this wonderful scripture that you'll all recognize. But no weapon that's formed against you shall prosper.
And every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. Amplified Bible amplifies the Greek and says, This peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.
Part of your inheritance is peace, righteousness, which is right standing with God, security. You don't have to lack confidence. You can be secure and know who you are in Christ.
Be bold and strong and not live in fear. And triumph over all opposition. It's part of your heritage from God.
The Government of Peace – Isaiah 9:6-7
Now, in Isaiah 9, we're gonna put this scripture up. You don't have to try to look all these up, but I want you to see them. Isaiah 9, 6 and 7.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder.
Now, I don't think that's talking about the government like we talk about the government. I think that's talking about the governing of our lives. Alright?
So, the government of our lives shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
And of the increase of his government and of peace, there shall be no end.
Now, let's just stop there and think about that. To the degree that his government increases in your life, to that degree you will enjoy peace.
If God is only getting to govern your life and govern your thoughts and govern your emotions just a little bit, then you may experience a little bit of peace every once in a while.
But the more that you let him govern you, the more you agree with God, the more you think like he thinks, act like he acts, want what he wants, say what he says, the more you are going to have peace.
Do You Want Peace Enough to Change?
Now, I just need to stop here and ask you, do you want peace in your life? Do you want it bad enough to change a few things if you find out in my sermon tonight that there's a few things you're going to need to change?
Because I can tell you that peace is yours, it's a gift from God, but you're going to have to pursue it and you're going to have to learn how to access it.
And when I finally decided that I had had enough and that I was going to do whatever I needed to do to find out what was stealing my peace, because Satan is a peace stealer.
And I can tell you that he knows which ones of your buttons to push. He knows exactly what upsets each one of us.
And in many ways, sad to say, he knows us better than we know ourselves. But you can learn what the things are that steal your peace, and you can make adjustments in your life, and no longer let those things rule over you.
Jesus' Gift of Peace – John 14:27
Now, a real important scripture that we know to look at tonight, John 14, 27. Let's look at this. John chapter 14, verse 27.
Peace I leave with you. Jesus said this just before his ascension. Guess he could have said all kinds of things, but this is what he said. Peace I leave with you.
My own peace I now give and bequeath unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed, and do not permit yourselves to be fearful, intimidated, cowardly, and unsettled.
Does anybody get that? So here's what you gotta understand. You have peace. In your spirit, you have all the peace that you will ever need.
You say, well then, why am I so frustrated all the time? Because you're allowing it. You're permitting it in your life.
You're going with your mind, you're going with your feelings, rather than walking in the spirit. The way that your soul can lose power and your spirit can gain power.
Stop Allowing Disturbance
The way that you can build in that ability to stay in peace is to just stop giving in to the demands of your flesh. Just let it have its fit. Let it go on, but you choose to do what you know is right.
You pursue peace. You make a decision in here tonight. Peace is mine. I've seen it. I'm gonna have it. If anybody can have it, I'm gonna have it.
I am a child of God. It is part of my inheritance. And I am not, hear me devil, I am not gonna live my life upset, and frustrated, and depressed, and discouraged, and having temper tantrums all the time.
I will not be ruled by my emotions. If any human being, any human being can learn to be peaceful, I know because I learned.
And I was like hanging from the chandeliers all the time. Everything bothered me. Everybody aggravated me. I mean it was like, if I, and I am so peaceful now.
It is so wonderful. Just so wonderful. We come home from these trips, and I used to throw fits because Dave would go out and play golf.
And I'd say, what about me? I work all weekend. And we come home, and you go play golf. And I couldn't be home alone. And I, what about me? And what about me? And what about me? And what about me?
And then I'd get mad, and you know, I'd go out and preach these great seminars. And then I'd spend Sunday after I'd get home depressed, and crying, and feeling sorry for myself.
And I tell you what, now I say to him, are you going to go play golf tomorrow? Have fun. And it's not that, Dave and I, we have a wonderful relationship. I love him tremendously.
But I just like my space. Amen? Or now if he says, you know, I want to go do this, or I want to go do that, I'm like, cool.
I'm telling you that you can learn. A lot of the stuff that you're getting upset about is a waste of time. And you being peaceful is more important than you getting your way.
Come on, don't make me come down there. You being peaceful...
Now, you know, Dave just kind of showed up on planet Earth that way. I mean, he's just got one of those easy going, cast your care, we'll see.
I don't like we'll see. I want to know right now. But you can change.
So you have to stop making excuses. Don't ever say, I just can't help it. I can't help it. I don't want to get upset, but I just can't help it.
You Can Control Yourself
God taught me a lesson a long, long time ago. And he taught me that I could control myself if I wanted to.
If you were in a full-fledged raging fit in your house. I mean, railing on the kids. Get this place cleaned up. I'm sick and tired of doing all the work around here. Rawr, rawr, rawr, rawr.
If I rang your doorbell, how many of you know that you would get control? I mean, you would get control.
So, you know what? And I mean, God actually used an example like that with me. Because I was like, well, I just can't help it. I get so upset. I just can't help it.
He said, you can help it. And he used the example to me. You know, if your pastor rang the doorbell right now, believe me, you'd straighten up and you'd do it fast.
And it was really an eye-opener to me because I realized then that we can control ourselves.
When you're around somebody or I'm around somebody that I want to impress, I can control myself and so can you.
Well, you know what? There's one person that we should always want to impress at all times and that's God. And He is everywhere, all the time, everywhere that we go.
He sees everything. He knows everything. He's committed to be with us at all times.
Pursue Peace – 1 Peter 3:10-11
Now, 1 Peter 3, verse 10 and 11. Let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days, good whether apparent or not, keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile.
So, not going to preach on this, although I'd be happy to, but just wanted to throw it in because it fits well with the next verse and just say, if you want to be happy, then you're going to have to learn to zip your lip.
How many of you believe that you have lost your peace many times because you opened your mouth at the wrong time?
Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it. Let him do right. Let him search for peace. Harmony, undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts.
And let him seek it eagerly. Boy, this was a life-changing verse for me.
Do not merely desire peaceful relationships with God, with your fellow man, and with yourself.
Well, when I saw that scripture, keep it in mind that I had just been upset for years. And I watched Dave enjoy his life and be peaceful.
And you know, I'd have a peaceful day here and there, but it just didn't take much for the devil to push my buttons and push me over the edge.
And I know you're probably not all as bad as I was. Maybe some are. Maybe some are worse. Maybe some of you are some of those sweet little calm people.
Well, don't get too proud because you got your own faults. You can come back again and I'll talk about passivity. Well, we'll just let that go. Praise the Lord.
But honestly, I made my mind up. I made my mind up to three things.
The Bible makes it very clear that we have right standing with God through the blood of Christ. So I made my mind up that I was not gonna waste any more of my time wallowing around in guilt over something that I had done, that I had asked God to forgive me for, that I truly believed He had forgiven me for, but I kept letting the devil load me down with guilt.
And I made my mind up I was not gonna live like that.
I made my mind up that I was gonna have peace. Whatever it took, whatever I had to change, whatever I had to alter in my life, I was going to have peace.
And I made my mind up that I was going to enjoy my life.
I made my mind up, and I believe God was thrilled the day that I made these decisions.
Because He wants us to get fired up enough in the Spirit, and have enough zeal, and enough enthusiasm to get into agreement with Him, and to say, Jesus, you paid a terrible price for my faith.
And I will no longer sit passively by and just wish, and hope, and let the devil steal from me.
I will no longer sit by and just make excuses when you have said, this is my inheritance, it is my blood-bought right, and I am making a decision today that whatever it takes, if it takes the rest of my life, I will enjoy the kingdom.
I will have righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.