Christianity is a life of painful joy. The Old Testament commands you, delight yourself in the Lord.

The Old Testament commands you, serve the Lord with gladness. The Old Testament commands

you in all your undertakings rejoice before the Lord.

Psal 37, Psal 100, Deuteronomy 12.

Jesus commands, rejoice and leap for joy,

for great is your reward in heaven.

He said, all my teachings I speak to you in order that my joy might be in you and your joy might be full.

The Apostle Paul commands,

rejoice in the Lord always,

and again, I say, rejoice.

He said, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy. He said my work as an apostle is to be a worker with you for your joy.

He said to the Philippians, I know that I will remain with you for the advancement

and joy of your faith. He said, God loves a cheerful giver and on and on and on.

The theme of the Bible is that Christianity is a life of tremendous joy.

Peter, verse 6, picks up this theme now. He picks up this theme of great joy, and he gives two reasons

for why we as a people are people who rejoice. And in the process he shows us why it's painful joy.

Let me mention the first reason in passing because we've spent two weeks on it already and then focus in on the second reason. The first reason is in

verses 3 to 5 because at the beginning of verse 6 it says, in this you greatly rejoice and the this the word this refers backwards to verse three

he has caused you to be born again to a living hope in this you rejoice and

verse four he is guarding or keeping an inheritance for us out there that's unfading and imperishable and undefile

it's kept it will not rot or rust it's out there it's going to be there when we get there and so in that we

rejoice and verse five he's keeping us for it it for us and us for it and in that we

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