The Pursuit of Peace

I would like to pick up where I ended last week I taught on the subject of unguarded moments unguarded moments if you've not listened to that message online if you would do your best this week to take 40 minutes of your of your remaining part of this week and listen to that message because that message in this mess just gonna go hand in hand as I as I deliver what I feel the Lord would have us to hear as I mentioned last week and my closing remarks I gave you the illustration of the story of Abigail Abigail and David and how Abigail intercepted the plan by David that would kill her husband navel she intercepted that plan and she said I've got to find a way to calm Nabal down I've got to find a way to calm David down the tensions were so high neighbor wasn't going to take care of David David was going to kill neighbor and it just heated and escalated to a point that there was an unguarded moment in David's life but by Abigail listening to her what I will call her inner intuition she prepared a meal for David and by preparing that meal she calmed him down and David did not do what his flesh wanted to do and that was kill Nabal in return because David just simmered down a little bit because David did not execute what he could have done he preserved the Kingdom of Israel and he preserved what he would eventually become and that was the king if he would have acted in his own accord if he would have done what his flesh wanted to do he would have aborted the plan of God but my calls he let God do what God does best we let vengeance belong to the Lord somebody say man we let vengeance belong to the Lord David got to see according to scripture approximately two weeks later God took care of Nabal when we let God take care of some of our most frustrating moments and frustrating times of our lives what happens is we're preserved our destinies are preserved our futures get preserved and God gets the glory I preached on the Gloria this past Sunday I said last week that everyone needs an Abigail I'm using that as a as a type in a shadow we need an Abigail in our life why because life is a way of throwing us curveballs it has a way of throwing unexpected things in our way in our flesh everybody has it whether we want to admit it or not our flesh wants to rule our flesh wants to reign and just like David you can have an abigail in your life that can cause you to pause that can cause you to think before doing something foolish in the heat of the moment and those type of situations have the potential of costing you your future sometimes Abigail's come in the form of a pastor a friend a spouse a phone call you you put whatever explanation that you may want or have for that but God has a way of setting you up and checking you and putting a roadblock in front of you that basically says hold on just a minute don't make an irrational decision don't do something you're gonna regret later on so as I said last week many times it's not what you want to hear tonight I'm probably going to say some things that I didn't come to church to hear about I hear that but it's what you need to hear is what your soul needs to hear it's what your future needs to hear and what needs to be declared over you if you believe that shalt ain't man aren't you glad that God loves us enough to be mindful of us to save us to protect us from destroying our own selves I felt like we'd never get way too much credit well the devil made me do it but the devil did this other day no no me time's it's our it's our inconsiderate foolish decisions that cause us the turmoil that we are we're now in right now

so tonight I want to shift our attention and talk to you about a word that is often overlooked and minimized in Scripture but I can tell you in this one word if it's embraced it can literally revolutionize your whole existence when I say the word peace what comes to your mind when I think when I say the word peace woody what comes to your mind calm stress-free absent some struggle joy happiness what comes to your mind and I'm not asking you for a for an answer for you to speak out in the service' but when I say the word peace what word picture happily ever after a new car a new home new job I don't know what that looks like in your mind but I'm sure you've lived enough moments in your life to tell me what peace is not somebody ought to give me a laugh or they men or enough you know what peace is not you can probably recall the time in your life where he wanted to leave a situation or exit the building but you couldn't and the only thing you could do was just keep your mouth closed and not say anything ever been there before anyone want to be honest and say Amen you've been in that situation before there's an old song that goes like this the Lord will fight our battles if we let him and we will always have the victory and I know that's that that song may seem so simplistic but how many knows that that this is easier said than done and what I'm going to ask us all to do tonight if we could just remove our Pentecostal spiritual mask tonight and let me help you because I do feel strong in the Holy Ghost situations are going to come life is going to happen to you there's going to be disappointments that come to your front door there's going to be disappointments that show up in your job site it's gonna happen in your children it's probably gonna happen before you get back to church on Sunday but hear me the answer is not arguing with your enemy there comes a time in your existence living for God that we go to a place that we hold our peace and that the Lord fight our battles we used to sing that victory victory shall be mine victory victory shall be our if I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battles victory victory shall be mine I know your flesh I know our flesh wants to tell all folks that it doesn't about you you wanna you wanna have something to say about that they talked about me I wanna I wanna I want to execute the vengeance I want to give my stuff but what if tonight I'm talking about peace you just need to step back and say I'm gonna let God show them the error of their ways I know it would be easy to hurl an offensive comeback in an argument maybe at your spouse maybe your children maybe at a co-worker maybe it's somebody that's close to you after they have said something hurtful but if you could just keep your mouth closed and just remember I felt this so strong my piece is more important than being right in a situation I just gotta have peace my peace is more important than being right in a situation

then I was reminded this afternoon one of the most powerful illustrations on this point the children of Israel are known in Scripture for their their their their victory at Jericho you know the story but it was not the result of their well armed soldiers it wasn't their well calculated battle strategy that produced the victory God promised in victory through an unusual means he commanded the people to march around the city one time each day for six days followed by seven times on the seventh day during which the priests would blow their horns and the people would shout but what is interesting to me in the scripture in this text the whole story before the shout before the victory of Jericho the point was often it's often overlooked in Scripture but Joshua what gave a commandment to the people it's found in Joshua 6 and Tina and Joshua had commanded the people saying ye shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I bid you shout then shall ye shout in the New Living Translation it says that do not shout don't even talk Justin will commanded not a single from any of you until I tell you to shout then shout in other words what Joshua was telling these complainers these negative mindsets these stiff-necked individuals he was telling them just be quiet until I tell you otherwise because I'm afraid that Joshua knew that they had the potential to do what they did in the wilderness they would talk themselves out of victory they would open their mouths and ruin what God had already put in the destiny I know it's pretty strong words from pastor Joshua on that day but how many times can we attest that when we opened our mouth that destruction with words have flew out of our mouths hallelujah maybe some words that you thought that left your vocabulary when you got in church slip back into your vocabulary and slipped out of your mouth in the heat of an argument oh come on somebody may be hurtful comments peeled out from a hurtful heart that now strain a a long friendship maybe he'd be ready to love one without any measure of self-control and now it's left an emotional scar it would be a great reminder in situations like this when it would be easy to open up and let them have it it would be good to have a pause button somewhere and just say you know what I need to be quiet and let God work a miracle in the process maybe I don't need to really give them a piece of my mind because I really don't have that much to share maybe I don't need to say what I want to say and just pause for a moment and understand that my piece is more important than being right Benjamin Franklin said remember not only to say the right thing in the right place but far more difficult still to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment I think remember not only to say the right thing in the right place but far more difficult still to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment jesus said in Matthew five and nine and I love the the NLT version New Living Translation God blesses those who work for peace for they will be called the children of God another translation says blessed are the peacemakers what a difference this church would be and I thank God we are a unified church if you're thankful for that you ought to give the Lord a hand please right now but can I tell you I'm going to tell you in the hole that the unity that you feel right now does not come without a battle it does not come without intentional preaching like I'm doing an intentional focus like I I'm trying to do because if the enemy could come into the church and sow discord and sow a disruption of the unity and peace of the body of Christ it could totally divert it could throw totally throw off-course the destiny of God the plan of God that's why every day we get up every morning we get up every night we go to bed there's got to be something on the inside of us that reminds us God blesses those who work for peace we got a word for it we got a strive for it because here's what's gonna happen I felt this so strong this afternoon in prayer of the difference this church can make all the difference we can make in our schools in our jobs in our families if we would all become peace manufacturers peace manufactures there comes a time when you should fight for what you believe there comes a time when you battle for your rights and sometimes your own life there comes a time but just as there is a time of war or for war there is a time for peace Ecclesiastes 3 and 8 a time to love and a time to hate a time of war and a time of peace I know in this room and in our online audience there are some natural fighters there's some fighters inside this house tonight but that's not always a bad thing but let me just let me step across this side of the line it can become unhealthy hallelujah I'll admit I'm not a fighter I hate conflict but don't back me in a corner I'll come out swinging y'all thinking with Madea ain't got nothing on me oh he pushed me in a corner I'm gonna come out swinging I don't like that my wife will tell you I don't like that side of me that's why I work hard at being peaceful it doesn't make me weak it doesn't make me less of a man because I don't know I just I work hard for peace I don't like huh now some people wake up every morning looking for a fight I know nobody in this room is like that but there's some people that wake up every morning just looking for somebody to hit somebody to fight somebody to argue with now I know some of y'all like a good fight cuz you enjoy the make it up now don't be looking around poking at your spam you know important.if let me get back serious here when you find yourself in a middle of a volatile situation I'm in very serious right here when you find yourself in a volatile situation how does your presence change things did you carry gas or do you carry water which bucket do you have in your hand because you're going to carry one or the other in your hands when you find yourself in a volatile situation when you find yourself in an argument or a disagreement or a heated discussion when your presence is in the room or you're involved what by nature or what is your default mechanism I'm sure some of you know of somebody I'm not pulling you they have the unique gifted talent for stirring something up if they poke their head in a conversation that you're having with someone they will quickly throw in their two cents and then even turn up the volume to full blast and elevate the conversation to a whole new level of cray-cray that's new lingo for crazy so know what I'm talking about you know a fault that everywhere they go trouble is gonna show up but on the other hand I'm looking for some peace manufacturers who will not stoke the flames of bitterness who are not stoked the flame of strife in gossip and discontent and backbiting and fault-finding come on somebody I'm preaching to the church tonight I'm looking for some Abigail's in this church in this house on a Wednesday night I'm looking for some solution minded people not a bunch of problem finding people keep in mind

I don't want you to have them a misconception about peace peace is not the absence of trouble peace does not mean that everyone will like you or they you will never experience resistance that's not what peace is peace is standing in the middle of the storm when lightning strikes just a few inches away thunder claps are in your ear your eyes are bird with the pounding of the rain you can barely stand straight but you choose to be steel and not panic you choose to trust in God you choose to be at peace in the middle of the storm I wished in this house on this Wednesday night that there would be a calm assurance and a peace that was sweet buy houses sweep our minds and that we would know yes in the middle of the store I can still be in pain I don't have to worry I don't have to fear I don't have to doubt I know who's with me in the middle of the storm Jesus was on boat with them you can never forget who's in the ship with you sometimes you just got to wake him up sometimes you just gotta stir up that gift within you and realize yes the rain is falling yes the lightning is striking yes there's water coming in the boat but don't forget who's asleep don't forget who's asleep on the boat you just need to wake him up and let him come to the bow of the ship and say pieces be still if I could instruct you tonight don't let strife infect you I'm worried way more about strife than I am Cove in nineteen and I'm not I'm not minimizing but the viruses of the soul are worse than the viruses of the mati I said the viruses of the soul are worse than the viruses of the body but the Bible talks about this stuff I'd rather go to hell with one arm then I'd rather go to heaven with one arm then they'd go to hell with to one eye or to burning forever we've got to learn and we're gonna discipline ourselves I can't let strife us I cannot let Colonel I cannot let negativity infect me because hear me this is good brother Chris right here you may want to write internal peace effect external atmosphere mercy Jesus no internal peace effect external atmosphere you won't everything out here to get better but top said I'm trying to get everything and hear better because if I can never get what's going on on the inside of you better you're gonna start seeing like just a little bit different than you did the day before if I can get that internal peace and operation the way you see the external is gonna change the atmospheres gonna change I believe that's what happened in here on Sunday is happening in here tonight there was an internal peace that said you know what I can go to church should not be fearful I come in and worship and not be fearful and you know what happened there was an atmosphere of worship and praise that was that was created in this church hello keep your pillows keep your peace when someone tries to pick a fight keep your peace when your child says something hurtful to you keep your peace when someone gossips about you behind your back god forbid but keep your peace if a brother and sister in the Lord says something rude or ugly about you somebody said keep your piece III felt like giving us a little revelation tonight let's go help it's helped me through some tough moments and I'm sure it's going to help you because I am convinced of this one principle you can be at peace when others won't I'm gonna say yeah you be at peace it doesn't matter if anybody else is at peace around you we must graduate to a place that we are at peace with our own selves even if somebody else is not everyone is not going everyone is not going to like the peace that you're living in what why aren't you or men I'm at peace why don't you upset I'm at peace you're in I got a feeling everything's gonna be all right I know who's in control what am I worried why I'm not frightful when everyone's not gonna like the peace that you're living in they will not want and why is that they don't want to enter into the peace with you because they love the drama of being unpeaceful it's become a crutch it's become a life it's become a fight

listen to what Paul said Romans 12 and 18 if it is possible as much as depends on some I say me live peaceably with all men sometimes it's just not possible the Bible says if it is possible as much as depends on you that's in the New King James you live peaceably with all men there are moments our peace manufacture that we try to initiate peaceful we sit in the olive branch out but it's not always successful you tried to love and they still want to hold a grudge you want to be friends they can't get pass over them they can't get past a misunderstanding some people just won't let go of something that's happened to them you may speak peaceful words to your spouse but your spouse your spouse may refuse to return the favor and continue to wage war with divisive words I know there's nobody in this room that's never happened you never went through that season of life just hang on you'll live through it you can try to be at peace with a co-worker but they refuse to give you the time of day and choose instead to keep gossiping about you but you've got to come to grips I don't know who this for I don't know who this message but sometimes don't get help today not everyone is going to want to be at peace with you some people have a vendetta from hell to be against the peace that you consume inside of you it's a spirit behind it they want to be divisive it's a choice that they make but you can't let them get you from under the umbrella of peace that passeth all understanding you've got to learn to live and walk in peace no matter what somebody else is doing no matter what somebody else's thing because not everyone is going to be at peace with you when Jesus said his disciples out I've never seen this and I've read the Bible through several times when Jesus sent out his disciples to preach him to heal he gave an interesting instruction Luke 10 5 and 6 whenever you enter someone home first say peace be to this house or make God's peace beyond this house in the New Living Translation it says this if those who live there are peaceful the blessing will stand if they are not the blessing will return to you you got it you gotta get a imagery of this you go to somebody's house you go to make things right you go to step in the home and you try to declare peace over their life over their home if they're living in peace they're going to receive your blessing of peace but if you go to that home and you declare God's peace on this home and if they are not living and they do not accept the peace that you give you're gonna walk away with double peace you're not going to only have your peace but you're gonna have the peace that was intended for them I think tonight before we leave we just need to freshly accept the peace of God that would walk us back into our homes those that receive the peace that God is offering tonight they're gonna be there'll be peace in your home that torn wall is going to be turning around there's gonna be forgiving this ass or there's gonna be spirits broken demonic generational curse is broken but if you refuse the peace that God is trying to offer it's gonna go to somebody else when you are a peace man a factor it's a win-win you're you have peace and then you try to create peace but if it's not created and received by someone else it comes back to you it's a win-win everybody say give peace receive peace give peace receive peace let me ask you that the Israel is there anything worth holding on to that would disrupt the peace of God and what God is trying to give you is anything really worth fighting over that long is there anything that you are harboring in your spirit it's worth holding on to that would disrupt the peace of God

the title of my message tonight I've reserved for my end the pursuit of peace I would love to say to you that peace was an easy process I would love to say to you that it just comes by nature but your carnal human flesh just doesn't make it that easy but if you're going to have peace you go have to work at there's going to be some defaults in your spirit man there's gonna have to be a pursuing everybody's not out to get me everybody's not my enemy yes they do love me no they don't hate me there's got to be triggers and barriers that you that you erect and then there's some that you tear down all processes and things that you I'm not wanted I'm not needed it yes I'm loved no I'm not loved I was abused I was mistreated those things that help formed all of these ideas and peace has been disrupted there's no peace there's no contentment there's no happiness and as a result the pursuit of peace seems like just a far it is just so far out of reach I just don't know a piece will ever come to my mind you're going to have to seat after piece it's got to be an intentional daily pursuit of letting go and taking hold letting go and taking hope I'm letting go of the pain of the past for the promise of a future I'm letting go of ideas and mentalities and and thought process I'm letting that go

and here's how I'm gonna start number one some of you need this right now inside your home and I'm in the Holy Ghost if I've ever stepped to this pulpit with anything that I felt was going to be an instructive word to help your home's number one you've got to learn to tame your tongue if you want peace you've got to learn to tame your tongue proverbs 15 and 1 a gentle answer deflects anger but harsh words make tempers flare King James said it a soft answer turneth away wrath but grievious words stir up anger the old adage goes a long way in this thing called life if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all what is worth keeping confusion going on in your home what's worth what's worth really keeping the that the yiyang what's worth keeping that going drop your sword Peter drop your sword tame your tongue and live at peace with yourself I find it so many times that most dysfunctions in home if we could boil it all down we're not really pleased with ourselves we're not pleased with ourselves so we're gonna take it out on somebody else we're going to look well he's not fulfilling me she's not fulfilling me it just just escalates out of control

number two don't jump into the struggle what's that mean posture it's very easy in a family feud or a disagreement at work it doesn't matter family or work do your best don't pick sides don't add to the conflict instead pray about the situation and speak victory over it because if you're not careful you could add to the fire instead of saying you know what this or that don't jump in and think you're the Savior that's gonna fix it you step on the side of truth and say I'm gonna stand with the word of God and if you'll stay with the word of God God's gonna work all this out hallelujah we've got to pray about situations we've got to speak victory over it don't jump into the struggle looking to help because you'll get caught up in the fight somebody ought to nod your head and say man about right now help me out of this hole

number three it's probably one of my two little pet peeves because I know a thing or two cause I've seen a thing or two watch out or watch for whom you hang out with if you're not careful most of your friends if they're disgruntled if they're negative if they're critical chances are you're going to end up just like them you hang around people that are always disgruntled you hang around people that are negative critical fault-finding not builder uppers not peace manta factors always in discord always in drama don't be surprised if your world doesn't become a soap opera you've got a pause you got to evaluate and you got to say this is not the future that I want if it's not the future you won't actions have to change behaviors have to change and we have to start seeing our life from a different angle I've got to start looking and watching and evaluate who am i hanging out with or all the friends that I'm a surrounding with right now are they going through marriage problems are you having marriage problems spirits attract be careful I said spirits attract so be careful when you're in a pursuit of peace there is a guard that stands it wants to come in agreement with you that a box out that'll box out spirits and principalities rulers of darkness wickedness in high places it's fighting for your peace it's wanting peace in your home but don't go linked up with situations it's going to bring torment in the absence of peace into your life

number four my final point just simply stopped I know that seems seems very Elementary stop it's just a reg sign on the side of the road but a stop sign has the potential of saving your life it has the possibility of saving your family if you yield to it if you heed to the warning if you leave this church tonight and you get out of a Warren Road and you don't yield or heed to that stop sign it's there for a reason there's traffic coming you don't know when it's not a matter of if it's when it's gonna come but Isaiah 26 and 3 if you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you all whose thoughts are fixed in other words go to God with your situation and just stop if you could just get into his presence and his glory would begin to minister to you the dysfunction has the potential of stopping because now you're in the presence of the Almighty God when you will keep in perfect peace all that I commit to you we commit way too much to a keyboard we commit way too much to a friend we commit way too much to someone who cannot help us but if I could put in his hands everything I'm going through every trial every problem the Bible says he will keep in perfect peace all who trust in him Oh or upon him I want to ask you a question or I want to present you

will you allow the peace of God as you stand to your feet will you allow the peace of God to have access to your heart you were created to be a peace manufacturer you were created to be a peace man a factor but it's up to you it's up to me to pursue it Colossians 3:15 let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you are called to peace and be thankful that's the New International Version let the Peace of Christ rule that means it stands on guard ruling your heart it's trying to keep you from bitterness it's trying to harness anger it's trying to keep you between the ditches of life and because we're members of one body if I'm right in your right in your right and peace is guarded and pieces in your heart you know what we move is one fluid body all of us called to peace but if the peace of God is broken in my life and the peace of God is broken in your life and the peace of God is broken and fragmented and wounded we can't be the one body that God designed us to be but his plan and his desire is that the Peace of Christ rule in our hearts so that we as members of one body can move and operate in peace

would you just lift your hands or bow your head whatever I want a prayer to come across this audience right now Father in the name of Jesus I stand upon the word of God and I know there are circumstances there's situations god that are trying to disrupt the peace of God there's decisions that we made there are things God that we've allowed to have access to our homes and to our hearts our flesh has got out of control but God you're the you're the creator you're the creator of us you know us God better than we know ourselves God you can let a spirit of peace rule in our hearts we are members of one body in God I'm praying a spirit of peace that would come over us Lord that you would harness us that you would keep us and that you would box out any spirit that would disrupt the peace if you're standing near your spouse if you would take her hand if you're standing near someone maybe it's just a gentle put of a hand on their shoulder if it's permissible Lord pray the peace of God over there maybe you're standing next to a friend a brother a sister and just gently place your hand upon him father in the name of Jesus I speak the peace over them peace of God cover me Oh God cover me tonight with your peace God I rebuke any disruption I rebuke every spirit I rebuke every frustration that would come against the body of Christ in the spirit tonight God in the unknowns and the in everything that we're going through right now as a country as as a church Oh God Lord may we do what your word says may we do what your word has declared that we that we will fight that we will preserve we will do we won't become God a peace manufacture we will be a peace manufacture Oh God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah we're brothers and sisters in Christ I said we're husbands and wives well we're we're in this together your spouse is not your adversary hallelu they should be your partner in your relationship with God hello hooyah we should be walking hand-in-hand as individuals out of singing as seniors and elders in our church God's calling us to be at peace at peace keep us tonight Oh God in Jesus name