This past week has been really hard on our team. Tour has reached a point where we are starting to get frustrated with each other and with the things that come along with tour such as the long van rides, fast food runs, no privacy, little sleep, and spending every day with the same people. Our attitudes have been tested many times and we have not always passed the test so positively.
The need to die to self is only increasing and many of us are struggling with giving up and surrendering things to serve others that we haven't had to before. But it is necessary in order for us to function in unity with one another and it is a difficult lesson we are learning.
I mentioned to one of my friends a week or so ago that I might want to speak but I was terrified. Turns out he told the Tour leader who then asked me if I would do it because he thought I was capable. It took me a few days until my hesitation ceased and I finally agreed. As I planned my sermon I could not find an illustration or analogy to use so I prayed for one. Right there my prayer was answered and I knew what I would use. My message was based on the verse John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” I chose this verse because it was simple enough for kids to understand but also challenging for adults as well. In the first part of the verse it talks about loving one another as God has loved us. I used the famous 1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient, Love is Kind." to explain that in order to have unity we need to be able to give the same sacrificial love that Jesus gave to us. In the second part of the verse I explained that Jesus tells us that people will know that we are his disciples, we are followers of him, we are his children by the way that we love one another. This is the illustration I received during prayer...
Growing up doing music was something that I was extremely passionate about. Music gives me the opportunity to communicate some of God’s truth in a way that words cannot. It expresses passion and emotion and reaches into our hearts. Each instrument makes a different sound and contributes its own voice. In the same way we are each given a different voice, a different mix of giftings and strengths to share God's love with one another. In this way our love is like a song that goes out into the world and sticks in peoples heads and hearts by the thing we say and do. However just like in a band even if one instrument is off timing or out of tune it messes up the whole mix. (I got the music team to play the chorus of How He loves with the guitarist and pianist playing out of key to visually illustrate this) Whenever we gossip, or boast, or are rude, and self-seeking (we do what we want first before others) it is like a wrong chord or an out of tune instrument and it affects the whole mix; it affects all of those who love God and doesn’t give a message of God’s love.
When I spoke the message this thurs a few funny mess up's happened but I think it went pretty well for my first time. The hard part came afterwards when I said something to someone else and realized that I wasn't practicing what I had preached in that moment. A whole deeper level of conviction comes along with preaching and it really challenges you to live out exactly what you tell others to live out. I'm not sure if I am going to speaking more but I am glad that I got the experience.
Tour is testing me and teaching me to be a more patient, humble, and kind person but it is good and I am glad :)
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