https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/The-Joy-of-Obedience.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: I Peter 1:3-9<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Despite the persecutions Christians faced in the first century, there was joy – I Peter 1:3-9<\/p>\n
A. A great joy, an inexpressible joy, was had knowing that they were saved<\/p>\n
B. That joy overrode all the hardships of life<\/p>\n
II. This attitude is strange to a number of people<\/p>\n A. How can people be happy while being concerned with keeping a bunch of\ncommands?\n B. If you have to watch every little thing that you do, so you don’t lose your\nsalvation, how can that be fun?\n
C. To many, it seems that commandment keeping would kill joy.<\/p>\n
D. Yet, Christians find God’s way a blessing – Psalms 128:1-2<\/p>\n
E. There is a delight in God’s commands – Psalms 112:1<\/p>\n
III. Consider the Philippians<\/p>\n
A. Philippians 2:12<\/p>\n
1. They always obeyed.<\/p>\n
2. They were commanded to work out their salvation<\/p>\n
3. If that was not enough, they were to do this with fear and trembling.<\/p>\n
B. Philippians 2:13-14<\/p>\n
1. They were to do all things without grumbling or disputing<\/p>\n C. Obviously, these Christians were expected to continually work at keeping all of\nGod’s commandments. So where is the fun?\n
D. Continue on Philippians 2:15-18<\/p>\n
1. Did you see the end note? Rejoice in the same way!<\/p>\n
2. Philippians 3:1 – Rejoice in the Lord.<\/p>\n
3. Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always.<\/p>\n E. You can keep commandments with fear and trembling and always rejoice in the\nLord at the same time!\n
F. I would go so far as to say this is the only way to have true joy.<\/p>\n
IV. The same thing was taught in the Old Law – Deuteronomy 28:45-47<\/p>\n
A. Notice the parallel phrases<\/p>\n 1. Because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping His\ncommandments\n
2. Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart<\/p>\n
B. Here is an illustration of the point – Malachi 2:13-16<\/p>\n 1. God charges the Israelites of worshiping Him with tears instead of joy\nbecause He no longer favors them\n
2. Why? Because they had been violating their marriage covenants<\/p>\n 3. The implication is that if they had honored their covenants, they would\nhave joy at home and joy in worshiping the God who told them the right\nway to live.\n C. Having joy and keeping commandments are not opposites, they go hand-in-hand\ntogether.\n
D. In giving Israel rules concerning His worship – Deuteronomy 12:5-9<\/p>\n
1. Consider that we, too, have not reached our rest (heaven)<\/p>\n
2. Are we doing what is right in our own eyes instead of obeying God?<\/p>\n
3. Do we rejoice in the tasks that God has given us? Even the difficult ones?<\/p>\n
4. Are we glad to worship God? – Psalms 122:1<\/p>\n
V. It requires a change in attitude toward God’s requirements<\/p>\n
A. Realize that God commands what is right and what is good for us<\/p>\n
B. Do we appreciate what God has given us?<\/p>\n
C. Will you not, this day, experience the joy of keeping God’s commandments?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Despite the persecutions Christians faced in the first century, there was joy – I Peter 1:3-9 A. A great joy, an inexpressible joy, was had knowing that they were saved B. That joy overrode all the hardships of life II. This attitude is strange to a number of people…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[374,1287,54,84],"class_list":["post-53442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-happiness","tag-joy","tag-obedience","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86718,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/joy-in-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":0},"title":"Joy in Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel Download Audio","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66835,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/that-your-joy-may-be-full\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":1},"title":"That Your Joy May Be Full","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Jesus prayed that those who would become His disciples would have a joy that is full (John 17:13; 15:11-13; 16:22). It would come through knowing the truth of the apostle's eyewitness testimony of Jesus which provided the basis for the conviction that Jesus addresses our need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59458,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/joyful-devotion\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":2},"title":"Joyful Devotion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by George Slover \"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/joy-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41846,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/stillness-and-joy\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":3},"title":"Stillness and Joy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gary Henry \"Be still, and know that I am God\" (Psalms 46:10). Nowadays, one reason we know so little about joy is that we know so little about stillness. In this age of the world, most of us are busy with a myriad of priorities and projects. And we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31448,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-you-explain-hebrews-1317\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":4},"title":"Could you explain Hebrews 13:17?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hebrews 13:17 states \"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.\" There are two schools of thought that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93912,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/harvesting-the-fruit-of-his-spirit\/","url_meta":{"origin":53442,"position":5},"title":"Harvesting the Fruit of His Spirit","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Randall Caselman When Jesus genuinely, truly comes into our lives, things change. Opening our hearts to His presence means we'll never be the same. Go with me to a well outside the city of Sychar. Jesus, tired from the journey, sat down by the well. 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