27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we come before You today with thanksgiving in our hearts, thanking and praising You that You have allowed us to see another day. Father, we've come to lift up the Name of Jesus.

Father, as Your Word goes forth, let it go forth unhindered by the works of the flesh, by the powers of darkness. Satan, I say that you are bound today and you are forbidden to operate. Father, I say today that Your Word would be heard by Your people with spiritual ears. And Father, we'll be careful to give you the glory and all the honor and all the praise. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In verse twenty-seven, he said,

27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you...

Peace is freedom from internal commotion. Peace is freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions of fear and terror and anger and anxiety. Peace is a quietness in our minds. Peace is a serenity in our conscience and in our subconscious.

Psalm one, nineteen says, "Great peace have they that love the Lord." Or in other words, great peace have they that love the Word of God.

Peace is something that Jesus has left to us. He said, "I didn't give it according to man's wisdom." He said, "I didn't give it," (glory to God), "As something that man could make a formula for." He said, "But My peace I leave you."

He said, "I'm giving you something that surpasses the natural man's understanding." He said, "I'm giving you something that's supernatural, that comes from the heavenly realm." He said, "The peace I give you is not from here. It has been sent from the heavenly realm, from the throne room of God."

When we look at peace, our peace does not come from being so spiritual that we don't notice our problems. Many times (glory to God) we get to a level that we believe that we're in God, that we think that we're so spiritual that we don't even notice the problems that are around us. But that's not being spiritual. That's being ignorant.

He said in this world you would have tribulation. "But be of good cheer, for I have overcome this world." Peace is not not recognizing that there's a storm. That's not peace. But the peace that He gives us is divine. You can't take it into your natural mind to try to make it. He has to give it to you.

Peace is being confident in God that no matter what fight I'm fighting, according to First John four and four, greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I heard a brother say, "I'm not self-assured, but I'm God-assured." See, if I'm self-assured then Satan can do me harm. But if I'm God-assured there's a hedge that's about me. Do you hear what I'm saying today?

Many of us are looking for peace in all of the wrong places. "If I just had a little more money I'd have peace."

No, you won't. The Bible says that the eye is not even satisfied with seeing and the ear is not even satisfied with hearing.

Many people have been in a place where their mind is what we call ill-at-ease. When they walk around, they're constantly in a state of perplexion. They don't understand the things that are going on around them, let alone the things that are going on in the Spirit.

But if I would get the mind of Christ, then the Holy Spirit will reveal the heart of God to me. And if I know His heart, then I don't have to worry about what's going on around me, because I would know if God be for me, He's more than the world that's against me.

Peace is freedom from an internal commotion. You see, when we look on the outside of each other, we don't really know the true picture. See, on the inside of us there could be chaos right now. We could be sitting as though there's nothing wrong, but in our minds is nothing but a battle ground.

There's a fight that's going on in our minds. And then when we lay our heads down at night, we can't sleep because there's no peace. We think it's God waking us up, but it's just that you don't have no peace. But the Bible says He gives His beloved rest. Listen.

You can see all the psychologists and the psychiatrists in the world, but until you know Jesus there'll be no peace.

Spiritual warfare when we look at it, many of us think that it is forcing our will on somebody else. That's not spiritual warfare. We think that if we can get people in a place where we can control them, then we'll have peace. But if God has given us a free will, what would make us think that He would give us power to control somebody else?

Many people think that if they could only be on top then they'll have peace. But the higher you go (oh, you don't hear me. The harder it is to keep the peace of God in your life.

When you have spiritual authority, you have established a foundation that's based on the peace of God. If you have real spiritual authority (listen at what I'm saying) you have established the peace of God in your life. But until you have the peace of God, you don't have real spiritual authority.

I don't care how loud (you don't hear me) you can pray. I don't care how good you can sing. I don't care how good you can preach. Until you have the peace of God there's no true spiritual authority. Oh, you don't hear me today.

Many people are still trying to get Satan up under their feet. But the only way you can get him up under your feet is if you have the peace of God. You cannot be in chaos in your mind and put Satan where he belongs. Who am I preaching to today? You cannot be in a state of panic in every obstacle or situation that comes your way, and have spiritual authority over it.

Many of us are trying to pray in spiritual authority, but the devil is laughing at us. Let me get real with you. Every time something happens, instead of going to the Lord in prayer, we act human. Do you hear what I'm saying? Instead of being (glory to God) a spiritual being, we walk in our flesh. But Satan only recognizes those that have authority, that no matter what comes their way, yet though He slay me, yet...

If you don't have peace in here today, if there is something that's going on in your life that you don't have peace about, then you do not have true spiritual authority.

If you are getting ready to be put out of where you live, you still need to retain your peace. Your children may be on crack cocaine. You need to retain your peace. You may not be able to see how you're going to make ends meet. You don't hear me today yet. But you still need to retain your peace.

I'm giving you something that's going to make... Oh. This thing will take you up higher. True spiritual authority comes when I have the peace of God in my life. Your body's racking in pain, but you better have peace about it. Oh, you don't hear me. The doctor said this about it. But you still better have peace about it.

You want to know why a lot of people don't get healed? Because they don't have the peace of God about their situation. Peace would tell me to be absent from this body (oh, you don't hear me) is to be present with the Lord.

The peace of God is what's going to cause me to have true spiritual authority. When you get peace in that area where there was hell, then the devil is going to turn tail and run.

But every time he comes that way, if you're pulling out your hair, you start cussing. You start gossiping. Oh, in one of my classes what they told me was, the quickest way to feel better is to put somebody else down. When I start acting like I'm better than somebody else, when I start recognizing everybody else's problems, then that's when I'll start feeling better.

But until I have peace in that area where there was hell, that stronghold is going to stay there. But once I get peace there, the stronghold has got to come down in the Name of Jesus.

In the twenty-third Psalm, the Psalmist said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." (Tongues.) I believe somebody's getting something. "I will fear no evil. For Thou art with me."

God wants to get us to a place, not only in the natural, but in the supernatural where we do not walk in fear. Many of us are still afraid in this natural realm. But I want to let you know that those things that are in the spiritual realm can harm you more than these things that are in the natural realm.

He said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Yea, though I walk in the supernatural, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me. I can't cast out devils if I'm walking in fear. You don't hear me. I can't lay hands on the sick and they recover if I'm walking in fear. I've got to have peace in these areas that Emmanuel, God with us...

Listen. The victory is in peace. The victory's in peace.

I told some of you this before. We were in a hotel room. And we were having service. And there was a pool outside. And there was a child that evidently had been swimming. And we were in there. We were having service.

And somebody came and knocked on the door and said, "There's a child out there drowning." I could see the people getting ready to, you know, just get panicky. But I said, "Don't panic. Let's pray." We started praying. And after we prayed, somebody else came and told us that the child was alright.

See, you can't pray effectively except you have peace. You can't take authority over nothing until you get peace about it. You know that boss on that job that keep giving you hell? Until you get peace about them giving you hell, you can pray all you want to.

God wants us to get into that place where we have peace all the time. Because He is with us all of our adversaries have got to bow their knee. We'll never know Christ's victory in it's fulness until we always stop acting humanly.

When you hear the bad news, lift up your hands and rejoice, that He is able to make the impossible possible.

If you would, turn with me to Matthew chapter eight. In Matthew chapter eight, verse twenty-three through verse twenty-seven, it said,

23. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

When Jesus exercised His authority... Listen. When Jesus exercised His authority even the elements obeyed Him. If you would get into that realm, if I, if we would get into that realm where He wants us to be, even the elements have got to obey us. Do you hear what I'm saying? When we have the peace of God in the way that He wants us to have the peace of God, even the elements will obey us.

His peace reached into dimensions that were past comprehension. Our peace needs to reach into dimensions that no matter what Satan tries to do, he can't penetrate. He had no fear regarding the storm. Jesus' peace was born out of a resolve that He had to complete the Father's will at any cost.

Our peace, people of God, should be that I have a mission. And I'm going to accomplish this mission at any cost. So no matter what storm comes into my life, I can say, "Peace, be still," because He's with me, and I have a course that I'm on that must be fulfilled.

People of God, get your peace back. He said, "I left it here for you." The devil can't take what he didn't give unless you allow him to. Peace.

In Romans sixteen and twenty, it says the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. That's where he belongs, under our feet. In order for us to immobilize his plans, we must have peace.

In Second Kings chapter six, Elisha was surrounded with his servants by the Syrian army. And his servant began to panic. So... Listen, listen, listen. So Elisha's prayer was, "Lord, open his eyes."

You see, when you get into a place where it seems like those that be against you are more than those that be for you, you need to ask the Lord to open up your eyes. And if we could only see that we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (oh hallelujah, Jesus), I don't care what's going on in the world around us; we can have the peace of God.

His eyes were opened. Elisha said in verse sixteen, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

I want to let you know today, saints, that those who are with us are more than those that are against us.

In Philippians one and twenty-eight, Paul tells us, "Don't in no way be alarmed by our opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you." When we have peace as an indicator that we are positioned correctly in perfect submission to God...

Listen. He said, "Be in no way alarmed by your opponents." If I am not alarmed at my opponents, then this is a sign of their destruction. Do you hear what the Lord is saying? If I am not alarmed at my adversary, this is a sign of his destruction in my life. No matter what goes on, I need to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting, that He will take care of me.

In Romans fourteen and verse seventeen, it says the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. If I'm in the Kingdom of God, then peace should abide within me.

In Colossians three and fifteen it says,

15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Peace should rule in our hearts. Saints of God, we have been praying, kicking, screaming, slobbering, asking God why. But if I would only get peace about the situation then I could pray effectively.

He said in Philippians, "Be careful for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Listen. I keep saying it because I want you to get it. You can't get that stronghold out until you have peace about it. Did you hear what I said? That situation that you deem so strong in your life, get peace about it. Get peace about it, and then pray.

Get peace about that job, and then pray. Get peace about that illness, and then pray. Get peace about that relationship, and then pray. Get peace about your children, and then pray. And the devil that has tried to set up shop in that place has got to go.

Come on, give God a handclap of praise.