Peace Not As the World Gives (the Peace Man Can Offer)

[Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] We want to thank our God again for another time in His presence for our discipleship class. We thank the Lord for this privilege, this opportunity to be here again. And as we start this evening, we trust that for our brethren who are joining us online and for us who are physically here, it will be a time of refreshment in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us have a word of prayer as we begin again for this evening. Precious Father, we are grateful unto You. We thank You for all who You are. We thank You for all that You are. We bless Your holy name. We give You glory. We give You honor. We give You praise. We say be Thou exalted, our Father, in the name of Jesus. Lord, unto You we gather this evening, and we pray. Let Your spirit work within us and among us in the name of Jesus Christ. We appreciate You, our God. As we gather unto You, cause that Your church will be edified and that Your name will be glorified in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, eternal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Last week we were able to come to a conclusion of the series "As in the days of Noah." And we saw very importantly that there is the place of God's mercy by way of intercession for His people. There is the place of God's mercy by way of intervention in the life of His people. There is the place of God's mercy by way of definite instruction to His people. And we also saw lastly that there is the place of responsibility. The people of God must be responsible. They must be responsive to God. It was irresponsibility that eventually led to what happened to the wife of Lot. And so we saw that we have our God who cares for us, and His care comes diversely to us. His care comes as intercession, it comes as intervention, it comes as definite instruction, it comes as word of counsel. The mercies of God manifest in different ways. And it is important, therefore, for the people of God to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. They must be responsive to the things of God, responsive to that which God is doing. And we trust the Lord that more and more in our walk with Him, may we be responsible citizens of the kingdom in the name of Jesus Christ. Today we want to move on to consider something also very, very important, which we are taking from the book of John 14:27. In that place, Jesus made a statement. He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives." And that is what we want to try to look at today. We want to consider and see how the Lord will be instructing us from that verse of the scripture. Let's go to that John chapter 14 from verse 27 precisely. Jesus was speaking very particularly here to His disciples. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said I am going to the Father, for my Father is greater than I." Jesus was speaking to the disciples in this place. He noticed that they were somehow disturbed when He told them that He will be leaving them. They were somehow afraid. They were wondering, how is it going to look like? How is it going to be? If the Master goes, what is going to happen? What does the future hold? Will it still be well with us? These Pharisees, the Sadducees, all of these people? Are we very sure that they are not going to handle us? Who is going to be our defender? All of this was going through the minds of the disciples. That's why I read those two verses, John 14:26 and 27. He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." So, their hearts were troubled. And what is making their heart to be troubled is because situation of things are about to change. If the Master goes, you know what it looks like if the leader is to leave and He's telling you that it is these people that will kill him. So if they kill him, what will happen to the remaining of us? What is going to happen to us? If they succeed in killing the leader, then we, the small boys, in a very short time, they will finish us. So this was what was a matter in the heart of the disciples. And I am saying today that for us today, so many things are matters in our heart. So many things are giving us concern. And some of these things, they can be overwhelming like it was for these disciples. Because it was overwhelming for them, looking at the fact that if these people the Master is saying that they will kill him, then once they kill him, every other person? So for them, it was overwhelming as somebody that cannot be defeated, somebody that cannot be conquered. They have looked at him as the Messiah. So if they can kill the Messiah, mind you, at some point they have been told, "the servant is not greater than the master." If they can call the Master Beelzebub, then what would they do to those of his household? These are things that I want to make you see why the matter was overwhelming for them. And I know that today too, certain circumstances may surround us that becomes overwhelming for our heart. It was in this kind of overwhelming heart situation that Jesus made that statement when He said, "Peace I leave with you." Now, the next thing He said, "My peace I give to you. This peace that I am giving you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." I want to read that verse in the New Living Translation. It says, "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." As we begin this series for today, haven't concluded "As in the days of Noah," as we begin this series of "Peace I leave with you," our focus for today is "not as the world gives." It is not the kind that man can offer. It is not the kind, the type of peace that Jesus gave, is not the type that man can offer to us. It's not the type that man can give. And having said that He's giving this type of peace, what did He tell them? "Don't let your heart be troubled." This gift of peace that I am giving you, this gift of peace that I am offering to you, you don't need your heart to be troubled because the peace that I am giving is not like the one that man can give. Now, our consideration for this evening is why is Jesus trying to tell the disciples that when God says, "I am giving you peace," you can actually be at peace? You don't need to be afraid. Please listen. This peace that He's speaking about, I've given you the background. It is coming from the background that the disciples were overwhelmed with what was about to happen. And you know ordinarily, when certain things are about to happen and those things are not favorable and we cannot see how that thing will not overtake us, we become afraid. Is that not true? We become afraid. Now, it is in the midst of that fear that Jesus is saying this. What I'm saying is that the peace, Jesus was speaking about peace in the midst of confusion that was about to take place. It's just like if we are to give an illustration for today. We receive a news, maybe an information just comes to us in Akure, and then the information is that by tomorrow, there will be bomb blast in several places in the city. So we should be careful how we move tomorrow. And then we should be watchful so that we don't get involved in that blast. But it will be happening in several places. It can be in the home, it can be in the marketplace, it can be in the school. Please. And the government announced that "we are sorry, there is no way we can help it. Let's just trust God all of you will not die." You know when you hear that kind of news, everybody says, "my brother, just relax your mind." You know as you are relaxing the mind, the mind will not relax even though you are trying to relax the mind. Why? If somebody says, "look," or even if the other way round, the government says, "all of you go about your normal business, we are on top of the situation." With the way things are happening in the nation, will you still be at peace going everywhere? You get the point I'm making. The point I'm making is that the peace that Jesus was speaking about, He was speaking of that peace in the situation of trouble. There is an impending trouble. The trouble is imminent. Jesus will soon be killed by the enemies. The disciples, of course, will be scattered. And He's telling them, there is no need to worry. The people will not do you anything. It's going to be well. How is it going to be well? You know you cannot put it together. What I'm trying to say is that the peace of God is against background, is against situations in our life that looks as if ordinarily we should not be at peace. Now, it is because God can give peace in the midst of trouble, that is why He said, "Peace I leave with you." And the next thing, He said, "My own peace I give to you. The peace I am giving is not like the peace that the world gives." What does that tell you? The first thing that He's telling you about the peace that the world can give is that the peace that the world can give is a peace that cannot exist in the midst of trouble. The peace that the world can give, He was telling them that look, "Peace I give to you. My own peace I give to you. Please listen, my peace is not like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled." Now, the first implication about the nature of peace that man can offer us is that the nature of peace that man can offer us is a peace that we can have when the situation is peaceful. And I want to ask you, when the situation is peaceful, wouldn't you be at peace? That is the kind of peace that man can offer. But we are still going on. Why is Jesus particular? Immediately He said "not as the world gives," He now made two statements. He said, "So don't be troubled or afraid." New Living Translation says, "So don't be troubled or afraid." The New King James says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." NIV, "Do not let your heart be troubled and do not let it be afraid." Now, what is the Master trying to make us see here? He's saying that when we are surrounded, when we are faced with things that ordinarily can harm us, can affect us negatively, when we are faced with all of that, it is possible to let our heart not be troubled or afraid. Why? Why are you saying don't let it be troubled even though there is trouble? Why are you saying don't let it be afraid even though there is fear? You will see a similar thing, look at a similar thing in Matthew 24. Matthew 24, look at a similar thing there. Matthew 24, I want to read it from verse 6. These are very popular scripture. It says, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled." Brethren, when you hear about war, and you hear rumors of war, "Ogun bo lakure lola o e ma mura." If you hear that kind of rumor, war is going on, and somebody says, what did He say? "See." Can we try some other translation? Let's see NLT. Look at it, "And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic." Is Jesus sounding natural? You get the point I'm trying to bring out? Our consideration is "Peace I leave with you, not as the world gives." That's our consideration. We want to take this thing in series. But my focus today is "not as man gives." There's a difference between the peace of God and the peace that man can offer us. There's a great difference between the two. What I'm trying to make you see again is that you see that this one again is similar to that one. He has just told them, "the servant is not greater than the master. If they have dealt with me like this, they will do more with you." Then He told them again, "very soon they will kill me. I'll be delivered into their hands and I will be killed." And then they start getting worried, no, don't be afraid. Just be at peace. Look at the similar thing here again. You will hear of war and war will break out, far and near, don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't come immediately. Can we see another translation for that? "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed." With what is going on in our nation today, how many of us sincerely are not alarmed? So, it is like something is eluding us. Don't you agree? Don't you agree that something is eluding us? Let's leave situation of the country. Let's look around your life. Is your financial situation not making you to be restless? For some of us, is your academic situation not making you to be restless? For some of us, is your family situation not making you to be restless? For some of us, if you look around, it may not even be about what is happening in the nation. But what is it around you? Some things may even be happening to you, maybe about your health. You have just been told that there is one thing that has affected your kidney or your lung. And that thing, oh you see, if you live longer, maybe just two years more then you will die. And you know this transfer comes from doctors. Please what happened to your heart? Can your heart be at rest? Now, it is in this kind of situations of restlessness that Jesus is talking about His own peace. There is a peace. There is a peace that is different from the peace that the world gives. And I'm trying to make you understand that as we move on in this series, you will see that look, this peace that Jesus gives is not something He's given to some particular people. It is something He's offering to the disciples. Jesus is saying that it is possible for there to be war, rumors of war, war near you, panic here and there, and you are just at rest. The Lord is saying it is possible. The Lord is saying that there is a peace that is not like the one the world gives. Are you understanding this now? Have you just been told that "sorry, federal government, I remember the last time they said even the pension of pensioners, federal government is going to borrow it and it has even been borrowed or it will be borrowed, I don't know whichever one." And then some people were almost dying. "By the time we retire, how are we going to live? What is going to happen to us?" and then are you understanding me? There are so many, if you look around us today, there are more information to make you to panic than information to make you be at rest. Am I correct? That is the truth. And what I am trying to say is that it is in those kind of situations that God is offering us another kind of peace. Are you getting the point now? Have you just been told that actually that business you planned that you are going to do, that arrangement for that thing, sorry, the man that is supposed to help you get this and this and this, the man said he cannot do it again? Mind you, you have put all your hope in that business as a breakthrough. And then trouble grips your heart. What is going to be my future now? Or have you been told by next tomorrow, please come next week, we'll be working out an appointment for you with a particular firm, and then you learn that the man to do that had an accident and the man is no more? And it looks as if, ah, my own is finished. Or you enter into a marriage relationship with all expectation, and for the past ten years, no issue. Neither boy nor girl, and it doesn't look as if any issue is even going to come immediately. Is that the trouble? You see, there are different kind of things that can give us trouble. There are different kind of situations that can bring trouble to our soul. But the focus of this series is that Jesus was speaking to the disciples. That there is a peace that I am going to give you. There is this my peace. This my peace can deal with all troubled situations. All situations of trouble where ordinarily, oh, you know one thing that I read something recently, and when I read it, I saw that actually man is nothing. Man is actually nothing, honestly. You know, the King of Babylon, Belshazzar, was busy celebrating with his honorables. And he went into the temple of the Lord's house, he went into the the treasury. Things that were brought from the temple in Jerusalem. He was busy wining and drinking with it. Suddenly a handwriting came and wrote something on the wall. This, this, this, this, this and that. When the thing was written, at first the King was afraid. Please if you check that story, we see the King was afraid. Now, maybe let's check it together. There is a way the Bible describes it that I may not be able to describe it like the Bible describes it. Let's check it together. Let's check it together. Let's see how it happened. That is Daniel chapter 5. Are you there? Daniel chapter 5. Yeah, I'm taking it from verse 5. "In the same hour the finger of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the King palace. And the King saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the King countenance changed, and his thought troubled him. So that the joints of his hip went loose." I don't know what, how we can describe that. Can we take a closer English? It says, "And his face turned pale with fear. Such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him." Are you getting what happened to the King? I'm showing you when things that make people to fear comes, even the mighty becomes nothing. The seemingly mighty, this is the world rulers at this time. The thing did not shoot arrow at him oh. Something was just writing on the wall, and he was scattered. Look at his greater confusion. He went to seek help. May you not seek help from where there is no help. It says, "The King cried aloud to bring the astrologers." The astrologers, the Chaldeans, the soothsayers. The King spoke to the wise men of Babylon. "Whoever reads this thing, this writing and tell me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck, and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." Look at what happened. "Now all the King's wise men came, but they could not read the writing or make known to the King its interpretation." The Bible says, "Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled. His countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished." Are you seeing something? Certain things happen to men, mighty men. Certain things can happen around you that can make fear to grip your heart. What we are saying this evening is that it is in those kind of situations that the peace of God becomes the remedy. There is a peace of God. When everything is falling apart and heart ordinarily, if you were to put it medically for this king, he became depressed. He began to have mental disorder because the brain was no more working normally. For his joints to give way, the king was just falling here and there, could no more stand. It became a mental issue. I'm telling you the paralyzing effect of fear. What I'm trying to say is that we disciples of the Lord, sons and daughters of God should understand that God has a remedy for situations that are paralyzing, for situations that are overwhelming. Situations that ordinarily should make your heart to start beating at a speed. Situations of alarm and trepidation. God has a peace that God can give to His own. He has a peace. God has that peace. God have such peace. There is a peace of God that is not like the one that people give. And you need to know that, or else, instead of you to still be alive, when you hear of war and rumors of war, you would have died before your time. Instead of you to still be beneficial to the kingdom, you'll become so useless. You get the point I'm trying to bring out? You become so useless because when situations came like that, the peace of God could not keep your heart. But I want to tell you this truth, as you will see later even much more clearer in this series, God never said there will be no trouble. What He said is that I will give you peace in the midst of trouble. So that when you become restless in trouble and for that reason begin to act contrary to God, the unfortunate thing is that you may be blaming the trouble for your situation, but God will not be looking at it that way. Because in the midst of your trouble, God said there is something I'm offering you. So, it should be clear like somebody said, he was giving an adage. He said God did not say that the flight will be without trouble. What He said is that the landing will be safe. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That is what He said. The landing will be safe. And it is important, therefore, for us to see that number one, the peace of God is different from the peace of man. One thing about the peace of man, the peace that man can offer is that that peace is not possible when there is trouble. That peace is not possible. Now, what I want to survey this evening for us to come to a close is when He now told them, "Don't let your heart be troubled. I'm giving you my peace." Why is Jesus relating His peace to the peace that man can give? The first thing you will see about this is what you will see in the book of Numbers. In the book of Numbers, that's Numbers chapter 23, verse 19. Numbers 23:19. Are you there? Numbers 23:19. Yeah, I'm taking it from verse 19. It says that, "God is not a man that he should lie." The first thing God wants you to know about His peace is that if God says don't worry, it will be well, you can be sure He's not telling a lie. You see if man tell you that "Don't worry, everything will be well," he's also affirming it, hoping that it will be well. Do you get the point I'm making? Man say, "Ah don't worry, ma worry, ma worry, wo ma worry, o sa ma da." He's saying that as a way just to comfort you. He's not too sure of how things will turn. Do you agree with me? He's not too sure. But you see when God is speaking, I'll give you a good example. They rushed to Jesus. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Lazarus whom you love is sick unto death. Jesus, emergency! Run, run, run, come, come, come." He just told them, "This is not unto death. It's unto the glory of God." And then He stayed where He is for another three days. Is that how to handle emergency? Brethren, is that how to handle emergency? If you are to take an emergency to your leader, and he says, "Ah e ma worry, fun ogo olorun ni e je a ma se nkan ti a n se lo." Then what you were doing, maybe you will leave that church. You get the point I'm trying to bring out? Maybe you will get so provoked because Jesus did not do anything particular. And so after the death, the sickness has finished his work and the brother is now dead. The brother was now dead, they have done burial ceremony, won ti pin akara won ti je akara. You get the point I'm making? They are through with the ceremony. Then He started coming. "I said before that it's unto the glory of God," and He started coming. Please, what was the immediate response of the sisters of Lazarus? You know, the two of them said the same statement. They didn't want to appear rude and insulting, but what they are actually saying is that is it now that you are coming? Your coming is no more relevant. But you know they have said that that would have been rude. You get the point? So they stylishly, "Baba ran ni se eru a fi t'omo je," you understand? They stylishly said it humbly but making a point. "Lord, you lied. You lied." You get the point? That your "unto the glory of God," if you had been here, it would have been to the glory of God. There is no glory of God here, you lied. Bible says, "God is not a man that he should lie." I'm trying to make you understand that the peace man can give can be a lie. Circumstance, everything around it was telling them that God lied. Was that not? You know when they got there again and He said, "Where is he?" What was their message to him? "Ah Lord, he has been buried three days ago. Abi you don't understand? That your statement cannot hold. That statement you made, it cannot hold. By now he would have been, you know, he's already decaying, he's already smelling." So the message is that "Ko ma se, ko ma se, bo se ku bayii? Boya r'e ti o ba lo now and you just died now and you can still do something." No, days have passed on this thing. What are they trying to say? That hope you gave us was a false hope. The first thing I'm trying to make you understand that when God give you hope on a matter, it can never be false. When God gives you hope on a matter, it can never be false. Circumstances may go this way, circumstances may go that way, circumstances may look at how it went. It was this way, they were waiting, "Hey, hey, hey, it's not unto death, maybe he will come now." Maybe he will come. "Ah, second day, he did not see it. Ah, ah, hey, he's dying. Hey, the Lord will soon come." He said it's unto the glory of God, it's unto the glory of God, he will soon come, he will soon come. But eventually, the brother died. It may be getting worse, but I'm telling you if God give you hope on a matter, wait for Him. It may be getting worse. But please brethren, the reason why He's saying, "Don't let your heart be troubled," when I give you hope on a matter, don't let your heart be troubled is that God is not a man that He should lie. He said, "My peace is not like the one that men will give." God doesn't cajole people. God doesn't exaggerate. He doesn't. And that is why if you look at Matthew chapter 12, it said, "Man shall be judged for every idle word that they speak." So God doesn't speak idle words because He's still coming to judgment. God wants you to say what you mean and to mean what you say. That's why He said, "Let your yes be your yes and your no be your no." He wants us to mean what we say and to say what we mean. When God speaks, God is saying what He means and He means what He says. But man is not like that. So the peace that God gives is not like the one that man gives. God is not a man that He should lie. God told Abraham, wait for me. The thing was getting out of hands. Unfortunately, Sarah said, "God have decided that I should not have a child." They alternated for Ishmael. But eventually, even when after all hope, naturally, physically, biologically, mentally, after all hope, it has passed redemption stage, God appeared and said, "Sarah, by this time next year, that what I said then I'm still doing it. I was not lying. I wasn't lying." Sarah said, "Ah, is it possible?" Sarah laughed and said, "Ah mi o rerin o." Because she was wondering "Ibi iyen ti de yi laaro yi," God, this matter had passed redemption stage. God is not a man that He should lie. One weakness in man is for man to say and to speak what he doesn't have the capacity for, because he want to give hope in a situation. But when God speak, He has limitless capacity. Limitless capacity, that's God. I was speaking somewhere, I said one thing you must understand is that God, one major problem of man is time. Time. But we need to understand that God is not subject to time, does not pay tribute to time, is not ruled by time. Rather God rules time and God exercise sovereignty over time because actually He lives in timelessness. He came out of timelessness to create time. So He's not subject to time because He created time. What are the things that rule time? Is it not the sun, the moon, the solar system? He put them all in place. So God is not subject to all those things. And that's why I told somebody that I asked them, I said if God was for example, if God was a hundred years old when He made the earth, I just give an example, I said how old will He be? Some said it will be about 1,100, they were counting the time to now add it to God's age. I said you missed it. I said if God was a hundred years old for example, if I can assigned age to God, because He's timeless actually, but if I can assigned age to Him, if He was a hundred years old when He made the earth, today he's still a hundred years old because he's not subject to time. That's what it means. He's not ruled by it. So we need to appreciate this God that we serve, that His capacity is boundless. His ability is limitless. And that's why He was telling them that see, "God is not a man that he should lie." Number two about the capacity of God, how man differs from God. There's something again in that statement. Look at something again in that statement. Something that worth consideration for every sons and daughters of God. If you know you have been born again, you know you are the son of the Father, something you must know again about your Father. He says, "God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent." Because that's another thing again that you must understand between God and man. Sometimes, it's not that man actually is telling you a lie. When he was speaking, he was speaking sincerely. But event overtook him that he has to say, "mi ni le se mo." I can't do it again. You get the point I'm making? Event can overtake him. Things can happen around him. He can tell you, "don't worry, join me tomorrow morning, we'll go to Ado together," and you have put your hope on that. And then early morning he just received a call early in the morning, "sorry, I tried starting the car, it did not start. I have done try, try, try, I don't know what is the problem. I called the rewire, he just told me now that the kick starter is bad. And by the time he was looking at it, he said the battery need to be changed. And now I don't even know what to do now. I will be taking public transport myself for the interview. Please you too, let's go and take public transport." Has he not changed? Has he not repent? But what made him to repent? It's not because he was not sincere, but because circumstance went beyond what? His ability. So when God is saying that "My peace I give to you, don't let your heart be troubled," God is saying that it's not like that of man because He's not like man that can repent. That is why we describe him as what? I like the word. I like separating it into two. Almighty is A-L then M-I-G-H-T-Y. But I like it the other way. All, A-L-L, then Mighty at the other side. Giving you two words. If you join them together, Almighty. There is nothing in which your Father is not mighty. There is nothing. There is nothing in which he's not mighty. There is nothing in which he's not mighty. Look at what the angel told Mary in Luke chapter 1. What did the angel told Mary? Luke chapter 1, when the angel visited Mary and Mary was trying to ask some questions as to how it's going to look like. And then the angel told her certain things and he said something about the capacity of God. Look at what the question Mary was asking. Look at the answer that the angel gave him. "Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I did not know a man?' The angel answered her and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will overshadow you. Therefore also, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. Why? For with God, nothing will be impossible.'" If it's not by God, then forget it. But with God, nothing, nothing is impossible. With God, nothing. For with God, nothing will be impossible. Except it is without God. But if it is with God, nothing will be impossible. I mean nothing will be impossible. He said with God, nothing, nothing. Look at something again. You remember when Jesus was speaking to that man? Remember the man who was saying that if it is possible, please do something about my son. He said if it is possible? Is that the question you are asking whether it is possible with God? Jesus said, if it's possible with God, He said all things are what? Possible with God. All things are possible with God. Let that sink into you brethren. What he's telling you that for instance, it is possible for a thousand to fall to your right, ten times onto the other side, and you are still standing. How? Because it is with God. Because it is with God. How do you explain that you are in a place, one thousand fell this way, ten thousand the other way, and you are still standing? How do you explain it? How do you explain that a man went to God and said, "God, please do something. I want everywhere to be dry and only where this plant is to be wet." And by that morning, everywhere was dry and only where the man, you remember Gideon, I'm talking about Gideon, he said, "God, no, I feel that this your ability, I want it the other way round again. I want everywhere to be wet and only this plant to be dry." Was God limited? Again God, oh brethren, I'm trying to make you appreciate who you serve as God. I'm trying to show you the capacity of God. That's why Jesus said, "with God," you are saying whether it's possible? "With God all things are possible." And that's why he was saying "Peace I give to you. My peace I leave with you." Don't begin to think that my peace is like the one that man give. No, my peace is not like that of man. And I'm showing you why he was comparing himself with man. Man can be talking about peace. Do you that even sometimes when the government says they are on top of the situation, do you think that sometimes they are not sincere about what the statement they mean? Many times man could be sincere, that's what I'm trying to make you see. They can be sincere that "Okay, police, do that, do that." But what happen? Circumstance, situation. Have you not seen soldiers going to protect and ambush were laid for them and they were slaughtered? They were going to give hope to some people, and what is to give hope became the very subject, became the very thing that received what the people was going to give hope received. Are you getting that? So people said they are dying, "come and save us." Those who see themselves as those who could rescue them, they died first. Why? Because they are what? They are men. But if God tells you that I am coming, what want to stop God? There is a peace, and I'm showing you where this matter is coming from. It is coming from the fact that we must learn to see that God is not a man that could lie, God is not a man that can repent. Look at something again that I want to also bring to your attention. Still about God. Just try to put these matters together so that we can appreciate our God. I want us to go to the book of Isaiah. Look at what God said about the mother and the child. Look at Isaiah chapter 49. He says, "Can a mother forget her sucking child, so that she does not have compassion on the child of her womb?" Verse 15. 15, please read for, you can read from your end. Isaiah 49:15. "Can a woman forget her nursing child and not have compassion on the son of her womb?" Do you see what the Bible says? "Surely they may." But what was the first question? "Can a woman forget?" Ordinarily, can a woman forget? Can a woman forget her sucking child and not have compassion on the son of her womb? He now said again, haven't asked that question, he now said, "Surely they may forget." What is he trying to say? Circumstance and situation can make man to repent. The girl did not plan to have a child, unplanned pregnancy. Instead of keeping the child, she threw it on a dustbin and ran away. Have you not been hearing of that? Abandoned babies. Is that not a woman forgetting her sucking child? Have you not seen wives who gave birth to baby within a year, because of marriage instability, abandoned child with the husband, packed her load and went away? Then the husband now went to look for feeder and be feeding the children. "Woman, why did you go?" "I don't love this man again." He said things may happen that they may forget. They could repent. So when man says "I give you peace," brethren, it is within limited capacity. And it is important for you to understand that when God is giving peace, it is within limitless capacity. It is within limitless capacity. What gives us fear is that we begin to limit God. "Wait, ah, ha, but in this situation, ah, what? Ah, now that," you get the point? When God says for instance, "I'm your shepherd, you will not lack." You are thinking that God can only feed you when you are collecting your salary. Oh, are you understanding me? You are limiting God to the 30-days alert. You forgot that there was a population that were over a million, there was no alert. God fed them for 40 years in the wilderness. Then just one family is afraid because there is no alert. That one, there was no economy. Was there any economy running? Was there any economy? Economy talks about producing, are you following me? You produce, you distribute, when you distribute, then the consumer consume, and then that is production, that is economy. In that wilderness there was no economy. And yet people were eating and drinking. And that went for 40 years. Then you and your family that you are just about three or four, you are afraid because there is no alert that God cannot feed you. Poison yourself and then your mind begin to shake. You see, we are putting God, we are limiting God. I don't know how I'm looking for utterance. But I want you to understand what I'm trying to say, that God is not like man. God does not operate like man. Do you know that at a point, God want to prove a point? Look, anytime you read the things of the Bible, they are not just Bible stories. They are things to make you appreciate and understand your God. Do you that there was a time that there was famine in the land? Do you know what God did? You have read it before. And God, do you know what raven is? You know raven? Eye radorada yen. What you call radorada bird, useless bird. Not even dove, not parrot, not bird that you will appreciate, not eagle. It was raven that was bringing food. Where was he getting the food? Who was cooking it? From where was it coming? And Elijah was eating. Then you are talking about alert. You forgot that another battalion, the whole army of Aram came against a man, and God just made them blind. And one man led the whole army, gave them food and sent them away. And you are shaking because they talk about some gunmen are coming to kill people. You see, I'm trying to make you appreciate the capacity of God. That when you read Bible, don't turn Bible to Bible story. When you read Bible, Bible is telling you, you see, we don't know all of God, but the Bible gave enough record for us to be able to know that when God says, "Don't be afraid, I give you peace," it is possible for us to rest on God. It is very, very possible. That's why I showed you in different capacity, in different ways. I want to ask you, how do you explain how a man, because anointing is on him, one man, anointing was on that man, and that man, one man, became the army of a land? Can you explain it? Samson was not a soldier. Or was Samson a soldier? Have you seen where one man can be the army? But that's what God did with Samson. He was the air force, he was the land force, he was the, are you understanding me? He was the sea force. One man. And I want to ask you, how exactly was he fighting? Was he fighting from all direction that they could not kill him from the back? Brethren, open your mind. Open your mind and understand this God. How will you be fighting fifty people, even take ten people, and they are surrounding you, and you are fighting like this? So what happens at the back? Is it that there were another hand that is back that was fighting the ones behind? Or how was he killing them? Or when they got there, they just stood for him to be killing them? This is why I want you to think and imagine about God. He's just trying to make you see the impossibilities that are in God. I was reading a story, and that's why I want to end for today. I can't remember on which page, it was on a WhatsApp page that I read it. Some youth wanted to travel in their youthful exuberance. So I think the mother, whether the mother or father of one of them, a believer, now came and told them that they should please allow God in their life, allow God go with them. So they now responded, one of them responded, either one of them or all of them responded that look, they don't have space for God in this their car, except maybe God can go and stay in the boot. Eventually that vehicle had an accident. But you know the something? Why everybody with all what happened to the vehicle, the somersaulting and everything and everybody died? The eggs that were in the boot were intact. So God was in the boot, sebi iyẹn ti to si niyẹn? But I believe God just wanted to prove a point. Brethren, we serve a God that is not a man. We serve a God, look at all of these things that the Bible records for us. The Bible said these things, look at how the Bible conclude with them. That is what we are praying with this evening. Look at how the Bible conclude with them. Romans chapter 15. Romans 15, let's conclude there. It's already 6:30. Let's conclude there. Romans chapter 15, look at what the Bible says, verse 4. "For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and the comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Whatsoever things were written. We'll be looking at the things that have been written. Today we are saying, not the peace that man offers, the peace that God gives. Why is he saying so? It's because the peace of God is not like the peace of man. God is not a man that He should lie. The peace of man can only be in the midst of peace. God is not a man that He should repent. You know, man have limited capacity. God is limitless. Look at this God. With Him nothing is impossible. Look beyond your limitation. Don't make God too small. Look beyond the circumstance. Look at situation of hopelessness. Look at situation of supply that God did. Look at how He fed our fathers in the wilderness. Look at how He fed Elijah. Look at how He, look, next week I will show you some things that happened with some kings. How God made people to see blood like water and then water like blood. Look at the turning of water to wine. I'm talking about the capacity of God to supply, to protect, to produce, to keep, to preserve. He said, "Peace I give unto you." It's not like the man's peace. Don't look at God like man. Don't limit God. Don't. Oh, precious Father, we thank You for this evening. Lord God Almighty. Oh, this song is just coming. I have made you too small in my heart. Oh Lord, forgive me. I have been believing a lie that you are unable to help me. But now, oh Lord, I see my wrong. Heal my heart and make me strong. And in my heart and in my song, oh Lord, be magnified. Oh Lord, be magnified. Be magnified, Lord. Be magnified, oh Lord. You are highly exalted. And there is nothing you can't do. Oh Lord, my eyes are on you. Be magnified, oh Lord. Be magnified. Can you magnify God above that situation of your fear? Can you magnify Him? Can you magnify Him? Say bigger than all my problems, bigger than everything. God is bigger than your questions. God is bigger than your doubt. God is bigger than your worries. He's bigger than them all. God is bigger. Bigger. He said, "Peace I give unto you. My peace I leave with you." Oh thank You, Father. Oh yes, Lord. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Holy Spirit. Blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Oh Lord, the scripture says, "Thou will keep in perfect peace the man whose heart stays on you because he trusts in you." Lord, help our hearts to stay on You. Help our hearts to stay on You. On Your power, on Your might, on Your awesomeness, on Your almightiness. Oh God, help our hearts to stay on You. Your capacity is boundless. Your ability is limitless. Help us to see it, oh God, in the name of Jesus Christ. You are not like us. Help us not to reduce You to ourselves in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, eternal Father. You are not a man, oh God. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let us share the grace together in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 PM; adolescent and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ile-Ere community, opposite Rejoice filling station, along Ijede road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.