DEVOTIONS WITH PASTOR BOB 6 Practices in the Christian Life #6 “Walk in God’s Ways” (lesson #4)

DEVOTIONS WITH PASTOR BOB

6 Practices in the Christian Life

#6 “Walk in God’s Ways” (lesson #4)

"Your Love Is Life" 

https://youtu.be/gmJ-flMOVxM

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9 (NLT)

⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 

⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.

Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing.

Then the God of peace will be with you.

PAUL MENTIONS FOUR COMPONENTS TO OUR FAITH (PHILIPPIANS 4:9)

(1) The intellect: “What you have learned”;

(2) The will: “What you received”;

(3) The behavioral: “What you have heard and seen, which you must practice”;

(4) The emotions: “The God of peace shall be with you.”

4. FINALLY LET’S LOOK AT THE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT OF FAITH

The result of Christian conduct is the very presence of the God of peace with us.

In verse 7 of our text, we see that specific, thankful prayer, results in the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds.

In verse 9 of our text, we see that the practice of Christian conduct results in the God of peace being with us.

You may be wondering, “I thought that God is always with us?”

So why does the Apostle Paul say something that’s always true, as if it were some special deal?”

The answer is, because it is a special deal!

Yes, God is always with the believer (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).

But we do not always sense His presence, nor do we always know His presence is with us as the God of peace.

• He is the God who is never troubled by the ups and downs of life.

• He is the God who is never troubled by the storms of circumstances that swirl us around.

 This is because God is the eternal, sovereign, almighty God who accomplishes His purpose (Isaiah 40).

Do we as Christians desire to have the presence of God?

He is the God of peace, in our lives.

When Moses was faced with the awesome task of leading an entire nation out of bondage in Egypt through the barren Sinai desert;

Moses prayed in Exodus 33:15-16,

And he said to him (God), “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 

For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people,

unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people,

from every people on the face of the earth.”

Moses understood the value of God’s presence.

For forty years Moses saw the pillar of fire every night and the cloud by day which was God’s way of showing His presence was with the Children of Israel.

God’s presence with us touches every part of us, our minds our will, and our emotions.

Those who reject the emotional aspect of our faith need to spend some more time in the Scriptures.

CONCLUSION

(1) The intellect: “What you have learned”;

(2) The will: “What you received”;

(3) The behavioral: “What you have heard and seen, which you must practice”;

(4) The emotions: “The God of peace shall be with you.”

Then the God of peace will be with us touching our hearts, provoking us to praise and worship of Him from our heart that are over flow with Joy, because of His presence that goes with us. Amen!

PRAYER IN SONG

"Philippians 4"

https://youtu.be/o784VnVA71U