Double Work & Double Joy

I was exhausted when I reached home at 3pm yesterday after preaching twice on Saturday night and Sunday morning service. It was double work, double the preparation - different messages for each service. As Saturday happened to be Independence Day (Malaya in 1957) I spoke briefly about some current national issues and how Christians were to respond accordingly with gentleness, wisdom and full of conviction as we testify to Jesus Christ as Lord and God.
But my sermon was based on the reigns of Asa and his son Jehosaphat and how the latter appointed experts and Levites who took the book of the Law and went about teaching God's Word. This is what I have been doing especially in the past several months. Then on Sunday I spoke about the role of a teacher in church and expounded on several key passages from Luke 6:40 and Matt 13:52. I felt both times the Lord was mighty in His presence with me as it was a struggle to speak to a sparse audience of less than 100 people in a big church building on Saturday night. But on Sunday at least it was two-third full but on both occasions I had to contend with extreme heat. I guess a simple solution is to have a fan near the pulpit as that would lessen the sufferings of the preacher. But I preach Christ crucified so a bit of suffering does the soul a lot of good, especially at night I slept on a hard pillow like a rock and had almost a Jacobean night who slept on a rock as a pillow on his way to Midian. Due to the lack of sleep during my 36 hours away I slept like a rock as soon as I reached home in the afternoon and got up just before 6pm. All in all the response to the Word was encouraging. The pastor called today and told me that a church member had given a gift; in fact 7 or 8 people brought gifts as they shook my hand and I was touched by their generosity and love. In my sermon I even testified of God's grace that last year I became debt free and my house was fully paid up. I did not want to garner sympathy or give the impression that I am in need for my God shall supply all your needs according to the riches of His glory.