NOW MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 9 IS A WONDERFUL
SCRIPTURE.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS TOGETHER, TAKE A LITTLE TIME
AND EXAMINE IT.
"BLESSED," AMPLIFIED BIBLE SAYS, "ENJOYING ENVIABLE HAPPINESS,
AND SPIRITUALLY PROSPEROUS--WITH LIFE-JOY AND SATISFACTION IN
GOD'S FAVOR AND SALVATION," NOW GET THIS,
"REGARDLESS OF THEIR OUTWARD CONDITIONS."
NOW SEE, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE AFTER.
HERE'S WHY, I CANNOT AND YOU CANNOT AND WE NEVER WILL BE ABLE
TO CONTROL EVERYTHING THAT COMES AGAINST US.
NOT ALL STORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST.
AMEN?
NOT ALL STORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST.
A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY.
AND LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED.
WE NEED TO BE STRONG AHEAD OF TIME AND NOT WAIT UNTIL WE'RE
IN THE MIDST OF A MESS THEN TRYING TO GET STRONG IN GOD
AND GET PRAYED UP.
WE NEED TO NOT GET READY.
WE NEED TO LIVE READY.
AMEN?
DID ANYBODY HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING?
WE NEED TO LIVE READY.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE HAPPY AND THEY HAVE JOY REGARDLESS
OF THEIR OUTWARD CONDITIONS.
AND THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY, "BLESSED ARE THE MAKERS,"
NOW WATCH THIS, "THE MAKERS AND
THE MAINTAINERS OF PEACE." SO WE CAN'T JUST SAY,
"WELL, I WISH I HAD PEACE.
OH, GOD, GIVE ME PEACE." HE SAYS, "BE A MAKER OF PEACE.
BE A MAINTAINER OF PEACE." "THEY SHALL BE CALLED--"
AND I LOVE THIS, DOESN'T SAY THE CHILDREN OF GOD,
IT SAYS, "THE SONS OF GOD." SEE, YOU GIVE PRIVILEGES TO SONS
AND DAUGHTERS THAT YOU CAN TRUST WHO KNOW YOUR HEART,
THAT YOU DON'T GIVE TO BABIES AND TO CHILDREN.
WE'RE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD BUT SOME PEOPLE HONESTLY NEVER GET
OUT OF THE BABY STAGE.
SOME NEVER GET OUT OF THE KINDERGARTEN STAGE.
SOME NEVER GRADUATE FROM GRADE SCHOOL.
THEY NEVER GO ON TO DO ANYTHING WITH THEIR LIFE.
THEY'RE ALWAYS COMPLAINING AND MURMURING AND UPSET AND UNHAPPY
AND DON'T HAVE ANY PEACE AND DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE IN
CHRIST SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER EITHER BE TAUGHT OR
THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO GO DEEPER IN GOD.
GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH.
BUT HIS GOAL IS NOT TO GIVE US EVERY SINGLE THING WE WANT.
IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP US HAPPY, THEN WE CERTAINLY
DON'T HAVE ANY DEPTH.
I USED TO BE LIKE THAT.
I COULD BE HAPPY WHEN I WAS GETTING EVERYTHING I WANTED.
WELL, THAT'S NOT ANY KIND OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY.
ANYBODY CAN DO THAT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED TO DO THAT.
SO, ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE ON THE ROLE OF A PEACEMAKER?
ARE YOU WILLING TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY, "I'M SORRY"?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WHAT ABOUT EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK IT WAS YOUR FAULT?
NOW, THAT'S ANOTHER WHOLE LEVEL RIGHT THERE.
NOW, WE'RE REALLY GOING DEEP.
SEE, I'VE GOTTEN HUNGRY ENOUGH FOR PEACE.
NOW DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A FUSS ABOUT THINGS THAT
AREN'T RIGHT, NO DOUBT.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT NOT CONFRONTING EVIL AND NOT
STANDING UP AGAINST ANYTHING.
BUT HOW MANY THINGS DO WE LOSE OUR PEACE OVER THAT DON'T MAKE
ANY SENSE AT ALL?
IT JUST REALLY DOESN'T MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE LONG RUN.
IT'S NOT GONNA MATTER TO US.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE CONCERNED ABOUT ON OUR
DEATH BED, IS IT?
AND SO I'VE LEARNED THAT BEING RIGHT IS HIGHLY OVERRATED AND
THAT YOU'RE MUCH BETTER OFF TO JUST SAY, "LOOK, MAYBE
I'M WRONG, I'M SORRY.
LET'S DON'T FIGHT." BE THE PEACEMAKER AND
BE A MAINTAINER OF PEACE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET REALLY PRACTICAL TONIGHT AND WE'RE
GONNA LEARN SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT FIRST LET'S LOOK AT, 1 PETER CHAPTER 3, VERSE 11.
SEE, WE WANT MORE PEACE, BUT ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE
THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO HAVE IT?
AND I'M GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN WHEN I'M SURE THAT
YOU'RE LISTENING.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WE WANT MORE PEACE, BUT ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE THE
CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO HAVE IT?
WE WANT MORE PEACE, BUT ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGES
THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TO HAVE IT?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SEE, YOU FINALLY FIGURED OUT I WAS GONNA KEEP
SAYING IT TILL YOU GOT HAPPY.
YOU KNOW, I FOUND OUT THAT I COULD HAVE MORE PEACE
IN MY HOME IF I STOPPED TRYING TO TELL MY HUSBAND WHAT
TO DO ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S JUST ONE LITTLE HINT OF HOW THINGS CAN IMPROVE.
BUT SEE, I ENJOY TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO.
I HAVE A STRONG TYPE "A" PERSONALITY.
I'D MUCH RATHER BEEN IN CHARGE AND BE IN CONTROL,
BUT IT DOESN'T BRING PEACE.
IT DON'T BRING PEACE.
AND JESUS SAID, "I LEFT YOU MY PEACE.
STOP GETTING UPSET.
STOP ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE UPSET AND DISTURBED."
ANOTHER PLACE IN THE BIBLE SAYS, "HOLD YOUR PEACE.
BE A MAKER AND A MAINTAINER OF PEACE."
WE'VE GOTTA JUST QUIT SITTING AROUND WISHING FOR THINGS.
"I WISH I HAD MORE PEACE.
WELL, I WISH I HAD MORE PEACE." WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE MORE PEACE IF ALL YOU DO IS WISH.
REMEMBER I SAID THIS MORNING, I HAVE A GOAL IN MY HEART
THIS YEAR.
I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
I WANNA HELP PEOPLE BECOME ON-PURPOSE PEOPLE RATHER THAN
PASSIVE PEOPLE WHO SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR THE RIGHT THING
TO HAPPEN.
I WANT TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO ON PURPOSE
BECAUSE IF WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, GOD WILL
ALWAYS COME UP WITH HIS SIDE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: THE BLESSED PART IS GOD'S PART.
HE'LL BLESS US, BUT HE SAYS, "NOW YOU BE A MAKER
AND A MAINTAINER OF PEACE." HOW MANY OF YOU CAN JUST THINK
OF JUST A FEW THINGS RIGHT NOW, THAT IF YOU REALLY, I MEAN
IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO, IF YOU WOULD JUST SWALLOW A LITTLE
OF THAT PRIDE, BE A LITTLE LESS STUBBORN, HOW MANY OF YOU CAN
THINK OF JUST A FEW THINGS THAT MAYBE IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING
TO DO IN YOUR HOME, THAT MAYBE-- JUST MAYBE, YOU COULD HAVE
A LITTLE MORE PEACE, THAN WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, IF YOU'D JUST
BE A LITTLE WILLING TO DO...SEE?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: OK, SO IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU COULD DO, AND YOU WON'T
DO IT, THERE'S ONLY ONE REASON.
PEACE IS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO YOU.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: PEACE IS NOT IMPORTANT--SEE, THERE WAS A TIME
IN MY LIFE WHEN PEACE WAS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ME FOR
ME TO MAKE THE CHANGE.
I WOULD'VE HAVE RATHER BEEN RIGHT AND BEEN UPSET ALL DAY.
NOW, WHAT KIND OF DUMB IS THAT, LET ME ASK YOU?
I MEAN, JUST WHAT BRAND OF DUMB IS THAT?
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND SO, THEN, I HAD HEADACHES ALL THE TIME,
AND I WAS GOING TO THE CHIROPRACTOR, GETTIN' MY NECK
ADJUSTED ALL THE TIME...
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO LET PEOPLE BE WHO THEY WERE.
I WAS DETERMINED EVERYBODY WAS GONNA BE LIKE ME.
IF YOU ARE GONNA LIVE IN MY HOUSE--COME ON LADIES,
ANYBODY EVER HAD THAT SPEECH WITH YOUR KIDS?
"IF YOU ARE GONNA LIVE IN MY HOUSE, YOU ARE GONNA
LIVE BY MY RULES.
AND WE ARE NOT GONNA BE MESSY IN THIS HOUSE."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: EXCEPT I HAD TWO KIDS THAT DID WELL TO FIND
THEMSELVES, LET ALONE ANY OF THEIR BELONGINGS.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON, ANYBODY GOT SOME LIKE THAT?
YOU'RE JUST LIKE--YOU THINK, WHAT IS THIS KID GONNA
DO WHEN THEY'RE GROWN?
HOW CAN THEY EVER LEAVE HOME?
THEY WILL NEVER MAKE IT OUT IN SOCIETY.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT'S REALLY HYSTERICAL?
OUT OF THOSE TWO KIDS, ONE OF 'EM NOW IS THE CEO
OF OUR STATESIDE OFFICE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND THE OTHER ONE HELPS TAKE CARE OF ME.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: SO ALL MY FITS WERE FOR NOTHING.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: THEY GREW UP, THEY SURVIVED AND JUST THINK, ALL
THOSE YEARS OF HAPPINESS THAT I MISSED BECAUSE I WAS
DETERMINED THAT EVERYBODY WAS GONNA BE LIKE ME.
1 PETER 3:11, "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.
[DO NOT MERELY DESIRE PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD, WITH
YOUR FELLOWMEN, AND WITH YOURSELF, BUT PURSUE,
AND GO AFTER THEM!]" OH MY GOSH,
HOW VALUABLE IS THAT?
ALL RIGHT, LET'S PUT THAT WHOLE SCRIPTURE BACK UP AGAIN.
I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE STRENGTH OF SOME OF THESE WORDS.
"LET HIM SEARCH FOR PEACE (HARMONY; UNDISTURBEDNESS FROM
FEARS, AGITATING PASSIONS, AND MORAL CONFLICTS) SEEK IT."
SEEK MEANS TO BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO HAVE, TO
PURSUE TO GO AFTER WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH AND ALL YOUR MIGHT.
DON'T MERELY WANT IT, BUT GO AFTER IT WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH,
PURSUE IT AND GO AFTER IT.
NOW, THIS IS WHEN THINGS BEGIN TO GET SWEET IN YOUR LIFE, WHEN
YOU DECIDE, NOW LISTEN TO ME, "I'M GONNA BE PEACEFUL
ON PURPOSE."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: "I'M NOT GONNA WAIT FOR MY CIRCUMSTANCES
TO MAKE ME PEACEFUL.
I'M NOT GONNA WAIT FOR EVERYBODY TO DO, WHAT I WANT THEM
TO DO, TO BE PEACEFUL.
I'M NOT GONNA WAIT TILL THERE'S NO STORMS IN LIFE
TO BE PEACEFUL.
STARTING TONIGHT, I'M MAKING A NEW COVENANT WITH GOD
THAT I AM GONNA BE PEACEFUL ON PURPOSE.
AND IF IT TAKES ME FIVE YEARS OF FAILING AND TRYING AGAIN, AND
FAILING AND TRYING AGAIN, I'LL REPENT EVERY TIME THAT I LOSE
MY PEACE, BUT I'M GONNA GET UP AND GO AFTER IT AGAIN BECAUSE
I AM DECIDING THAT I AM NOT WILLING TO LIVE WITHOUT PEACE.
I WILL ENJOY THE LIFE THAT JESUS DIED TO GIVE ME."