He'll Give You Double For Your Trouble

 Reason #3: God Called Leaders Can Be Grieved and Hurt.

 If we follow our leaders, they are filled with joy because the work of Christ goes forth. The world is being reached for Christ and people are being ministered to.

 However, when we fail to follow our leaders, they are hurt and grieved, for the work of Christ is hampered and we are not growing in Christ like we should.

 When we oppose our leaders, we stymie or stunt our growth. We stop growing and begin to cause hurt and pain and division in the body of Christ. We become tools of destruction instead of Christians of love, care, and a nurturing spirit for others.

 Also keep in mind that when we grieve our leaders we also grieve the Holy Spirit! The scripture says in Ephesians 4:30 – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” When you grieve the Holy Spirit you also grieve God!

And note: our disobedience and rebellion affects us. It does not profit us. We lose out on the contribution and growth the leader could have contributed to our lives.

Point #2: “He’ll Give You Double For Your Trouble”

The scripture says in Romans 8:18 – “For I reckon (There’s a sermon just in that word reckon) that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared. Let me try to make it plain.

The New Living Translation says – “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.” The Let’s talk about that word suffer.

As I said previously I want to revisit the word suffer. Webster’s dictionary says that to suffer is to feel pain: to feel pain or great discomfort in the body or mind. To undergo something unpleasant: to experience or undergo something unpleasant or undesirable. To endure something: to put up with something painful or unpleasant. To have an illness: or to have a disease or a physical or psychological condition.

But to the persons in Jesus the Christ, Suffering simply means the struggle waged by our spirits to overcome all that is experienced in life.

Pastor, no pain, no gain. No pain, no gain. Suffering doesn’t feel good, but it’s good. You have to suffer with Jesus Christ so that you can be glorified with him.

Suffering prepared you to participate in the glory of Christ. Suffering and struggling is a refining process that gets us ready for the King of King and the Lord of Lords. (Explain About Refining Pure Gold)

Suffering expands, enlarges, and purifies the believer. Our knowledge of God is more defined.

Preacher what are you talking about? When we suffer, we depend more and more on God.

Pastor, I could hardly wait to get to my second point. Every time I think about the theme of this sermon, He’ll give You Double For Your Trouble,” it sends chills up and down my spine. Every time I think about it, the Spirit of the Living God begins to burn inside of me. Every time I think about it, it’s just like what Jeremiah said, “It’s like fire, shut up in my bones.”

When I read it, it’s like what Ezekiel said, “It’s Like A Wheel In The Middle Of A Wheel.”