Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
February 26, 2006 - W0609

This weekend’s service was a “pa’ina” or celebration held at Sand Island State Park. It was a weekend filled with games, food, and fun for anyone who came. Those who joined in the celebration saw a major transformation because previously, grass and weeds grew so tall that you could not see the ocean or the ground beneath your feet. However, the park was restored as a stepping-stone towards greater restoration in the life of this community with help from many. It was a joyous reminder of the empowerment of God in our lives. Just the mere fact that we are able to enjoy the beauty and climate of Hawaii gives us reasons to be thankful for God’s blessings and to be witnesses for His Kingdom.

The Lord reassured the people of Israel in the book of Acts as they asked, “…Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” And Jesus answered: “He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8) We too have received power from the Holy Spirit and are called to witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. In other words, God gives us authority, power, and influence not to use for ourselves but that we might impact others in such a way that glorifies our Father in Heaven.

The word witness comes from the Greek word, marturion. It’s where we get the word martyr. A martyr is someone who gives his life for his faith. So we are to be martyrs giving our life for our faith, but as living witnesses in these four places: Jerusalem (the church), Judea (other churches), Samaria (the community), and the ends of the earth (missions). Let’s take a look at the first three areas. The first place God sends us forth to be His witness is in…

1.       JERUSALEM OR THE CHURCH.

Our Jerusalem is the church. It is the church we choose to enjoy worship and fellowship. God wants us to use the gifts He’s given us to help one another in whatever way we can within the church, whether it is to be a part of a specific ministry or just being available to be called upon in times of need. You see, though we may be one church, it takes many people working together to impact our congregation.

Remember, this authority comes from God and is specifically for this purpose. So we must be faithful to steward those gifts well. The second area God gives us power to be His witness is in…

2.       judea or other churches.

Our Judea is the church at large or other churches. It’s not just the Four-Square churches, but all churches in our community, state, and the world. New Hope is a resource church and as such we try our best to help other churches. Some ways we help out is by hosting Practicum Leadership Conferences where pastors from other churches can come and shadow our leaders and learn from them. We believe that God has blessed our church so much that we feel when the tide rises, ALL boats should rise! That’s why we sometimes give scholarships to other churches or waive their registration fee so that they will be able to attend these practicum sessions.

Another way we help other churches in our community is to check how they are doing and if they are in need of anything, we try to help them in whatever way we can. For example, there was a church in which a pastor was struggling. So as a church, we were actually able to pay for the salary of an assistant pastor for a year and half just to get that pastor the help he needed. Yes there are many wonderful churches in Hawaii and we are thankful for every single one of them, but we are really One Church and we have to do this as a team. You see it starts within the church and outpours to others in such a way that it glorifies our Father in Heaven.    

Pastor Wayne talked about Jerusalem which is our church here. Then he spoke about Judea which is the extended part of church and into other churches. Later Pastor Elwin shared about the third area we are called to be witnesses. And that is in…

3.       SAMARIA or our community -- places we don’t want to go.

What is our Samaria? Samaria is often those places where we don’t want to go. It is places in our community where hurt and poverty exist. We are so comfortable in our own homes that we don’t want to venture into those areas. Yet, that’s where we are called to witness.

I remember when I was a circuit court judge my last assignment was with the domestic violence section. There would be an average of 60 new cases of domestic violence set for trial each week in two courtrooms. Most of these cases stemmed from drug use. The common comments from jurors at those trials were that they couldn’t believe these things were happening right in their own communities. Many times as a judge, I caught things on the tail end and the public wanted us to fix the problem. And the Lord said to get on the front end to help fix the problem before they get into the system. And that was a part of my call into ministry. Becoming a pastor has allowed me to make a difference in people’s lives before it gets to the courtroom.  

Our God is a redeeming God. He is an action God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn. 3:16) God knew that through His expression of love He could demonstrate just how much He truly loved us and then we would understand.

And the world is waiting for the church to show them the Gospel as well. They want to see the reality of the gospel. They want to know how true the gospel of Jesus Christ is.

This park was a throw away from the state until the church got involved and formed a partnership with others to redeem this place. It is a demonstration of God’s love. God wants us to go out into the darkened parts of our community and redeem it for Him, to share the Good News, and to show people that He is real.

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:13, 14, 16) That is the call for all believers and the call He’s placed on this church. We need to be doing good works in our community not just singing in church. So we begin to pray for the community, then clean the schools, and work with the students.

4.       the ends of the earth or the mission field.

These are the outer-most parts of the world or the mission field. As a church, we continue to send out mission teams bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all parts of the world. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) That power is to be used in the mission fields as well.

This weekend’s celebration or Pa’ina in the Park focused on our “Samaria”. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to make a difference in the lives of people in our community. As living witnesses, we dedicate our lives for our faith. Being a witness of the Gospel is the greatest impact we can bring to the community for we have been there, we have seen, and we have experienced the grace of God. So we must be bold and share that with everyone.   

Begin by remembering the redeeming action of God. He healed, He fed, and He loved us so much that he gave His only Son as a ransom sacrifice so that we would have everlasting life. His expression of love is an action that demonstrates the reality of who He is. Let us follow His example and do the same.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ONE CHURCH?

For some, it was the encouragement and lessons learned that gave them life-changing experiences. For others, it was the ability to take the church to the next level and impact the community. And for many others, it was the gratefulness of the church’s investment in them for the Kingdom of God.

To some, we may just be an organization, but to many we are a living breathing body of people with extraordinary stories to tell. Stories about lives that have been changed, churches that have been encouraged and renewed, and people who daily reflect a God that is beyond our own comprehension. We are the church, we are ohana, and we are New Hope Christian Fellowship.

“You are the salt of the earth………You are the light of the world. ……let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-14, 16)

“He is no fool to give what you can’t keep and gain what you can’t lose.” (This quote comes from a book of journal entries by Jim Elliott.) Think about it! What would I gain if I gave love or trust? If I give as Jesus gave, would I see what I have gained in my soul?

DISCUSSION ITEMS

1.      How has your Jerusalem shown you the love of God?

2.      What gift(s) can you bring to your home church?

3.      Where is Samaria in your community? What keeps you from going there? How can you begin to witness in that community?

4.      Describe a time where you witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit transform a person, a community? How did you feel? How has sharing that experience impacted others?

5.      What area of your spiritual walk with God needs to be taken to the next level and how can you begin to take that step?

6.      How has the message today impacted you and how will you begin applying that principle to your life this week?

Mahalo to volunteer writer, Debra Chang, a woman demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit by using her abilities as a summary writer to impact the church, community, the world! Mahalo Deb!