Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
April 13, 2014 - W1415

Welcome to a special convocation of our great heritage of God in Hawaii. God has been involved in Hawaii since the beginning of our culture. Today, we are going to honor Him through special dances and stories.   I hope this will enable us to sense the closeness of God’s presence in our lives.

Today is Palm Sunday. This the day when we celebrate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, and this is the day that signifies the final stage of His ministry.

God has done great things since the beginning of Hawaii; however, since then, His people have fallen far away from Him. Today marks a time to return to the Lord.

John Tilton will now read us this scripture from Psalm 130.   “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive. If You Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness in You, that You may be feared. “   And He will redeem Hawaii from all their iniquities.

Dear Father, this is a special day to recognize and honor You for all that You have done in Hawaii’s history. You are the creator of the world, and the Lord of Hawaii. In Jesus name, Amen.

God is more interested in us being grateful to Him than in anything else. If we stop being grateful, then we begin to take God for granted. If you would take out your bulletins, let’s read the Lord’s Prayer together in Hawaiian.

The Lord’s Prayer in Hawaiian

E ko makou Makua I loko o ka lani (Our Father who art in Heaven)

E ho’ ano – ia Kou inoa. (Hallowed be Thy name.)

E hiki mai Kou aupuni. (Thy kingdom come.)

E malama ia Kou makemake ma ka honnua nei (Thy will be done on Earth.)

E like me ia I malama ia ma ka lani la. (As it is in Heaven.)

E ha awi mai ia makoui keia Ia, (Give us this day.)

I ai na makou no neia la. (Our daily bread.

Ekala mai ho’ia makou I ka makou lawehala ‘ ana. (And forgive our trespasses.)

Me makou e kala nei I ka po ‘ e I hawehala I ka makou. (As we forgive those who trespass against us.)

Mai ho ‘ oku’u oe makou I ka ho ‘ owalewale ia mai. (And lead us not into temptation).

E ho ‘ opakele no na e ia makou I ka ino, (But deliver us from evil.)

No ka mea.   Nou ke aupuni. A me ka mana. A me ka ho ‘ onani ‘ia, a mau loa aku. (For this is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

Puuhonua O Honaunau is located on the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. This is a place where native Hawaiians would seek refuge from the consequences of violating the Kapu (a system of complex laws and regulations that kept the Hawaiian gods appeased.) During this time, Hawaii was a land without peace. However, 1778 opened a new era of having God in Hawaii.   Captain Cook entered Kealakekua Bay. There were hundreds of expeditions of ships that followed, bringing a European culture of rifles, rum, disease, and habits of immorality.

In 1819 King Kamehameha died, and the religious system of the kapu was weakening. Liholiho then became king, abolished the kapu system, and ordered the removal of the temples and the heiaus. Idol worship was now forbidden and the priesthood was dismantled; however, the superstitious fear of the volcano goddess and people’s fear of spirits of the dead continued to be manifested in people’s lives.

During this time, a young man named Henry Opukahaia, moved to the East Coast to escape the bloodshed and tribal wars.   Upon arriving, he converted to Christianity with the hope of one day returning to his home to share the gospel. This never transpired, because in the year 1818, Typhus fever claimed his life; however, Henry’s prayers didn’t go unanswered.

October 23, 1819. Seven missionaries undertook a five month voyage to Hawaii, and arrived in Kailua Kona in 1820. They landed in a territory controlled by Naele, the high chief of Kona. Kapiolani was the name of his daughter who was a high priestess, and who converted to Christianity. Kapiolani knew that her people would never see the truth of God unless she broke the fear of Pele from her people. Therefore, she journeyed into the forbidden crater, eating Pele’s sacred Ohelo berries on the way down. Nothing happened to her and she emerged to the crowd of cheers from her followers who were singing Christian hymns.

Hundreds of whaling ships brought diseases that the Hawaiians had no immunity to. This resulted in wide-spread venereal diseases, small pox, sterility, miscarriages, poverty, malnutrition, and eventually lead to a depletion from 300,000 to 140,000 Hawaiians in 1830.

Fifty years later the Kamehameha successorship would end in favor of an elected legislature rather than a monarchy. When King Kamehameha V died, Lunalilo became the first elected Head of State. After a year, Lunalilo passed away, and Kalakaua was elected. Kalakaua’s goal was to restore the monarchy and the Hawaiian culture; however, in 1887 he was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution which limited his Royal powers. After his death, his sister, Liliuokalani succeeded him in 1891. She also wanted to restore the monarchy, and a rebellion in 1893 failed. Liliuokalani then abdicated her throne and was officially confined to an apartment in Iolani Palace for treason. Later she signed a document recognizing the legitimacy of the new republic.

During Liliuokalani’s confinement, she wrote the renowned song, “Aloha Oe”. On March 22, 1895, she wrote the Queens prayer which tells of her great love for God and about the many alii’s who had become Christians.

Foreigners imprisoned her, but also brought her the Gospel. Grateful for the Word of God, and not wanting to have any bloodshed, the great Queen Liliuokalani chose forgiveness over bitterness. She even wrote a song, asking for forgiveness, and asking God to protect the people of Hawaii.   Part of the lyrics in this song are, “Behold, see the sins of men, but instead of malevolence, and anger, please forgive and cleanse us.”

Even Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them – for they know not what they do.”

Others faults may have hurt us, but do not let those faults hold you hostage. Forgiveness will free you from that event or others actions. Only forgiveness will set you free. Remember that forgiveness comes from divine grace and not from human courage.

Lead by his boundless faith in Christ, Father Damien came to Kalaupapa, a remote part of Molokai to help the Hawaiians who were abandoned there for their affliction with leprosy. He moved his growing congregation forward with joy and renewed hope as they discovered the power of God’s compassion.

Although leprosy is now contained, there is another kind of leprosy – a spiritual one that ravages our land. It is a lethargy about God. You are not able to visually see it, but it ravages our land and disfigures our families and our homes. We cannot be gullible and too passive to the diseases that are brought to Hawaii, such as immorality that has been glamorized, or alternative life-styles that have been craftily represented to show that there is nothing disfiguring about it.

The State constitution of 1840 under the reign of the Alii read, “It is our design to regulate our kingdom according to the above principles and thus see the greatest prosperity both for all chiefs and people of the Hawaiian Islands. However we alone cannot accomplish such an object.”

Article 1 says “That no law shall be enacted that is at variance with the general spirit or His word. All laws of the island shall be in consistency with the general spirit of God’s laws.”

The preamble of the Hawaii State Constitution reads, “We the people of Hawaii grateful for divine guidance and mindful of our Hawaiian heritage and uniqueness as an island state, dedicate our efforts to fulfill the philosophy decreed by the Hawaii State motto” which says, “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.”

However, we can clearly see that we and our leaders do not obey this constitution. New laws have been passed that violate this preamble and contradict our constitution.

God still answers prayers from Henry Opukahaia to the high chieftess Queen Kapiolani, from Father Damien, and from Liliuokalani. God has always heard our prayers. He sent His love in many ways, and through different people and through different means. God raised up churches like New Hope and others to continue His work to reach the beloved people of Hawaii. So remember that whatever you are going through, please realize that God is much nearer to you – He knows more about you than you may think. This is why we take the time to gather together and celebrate today and next week during Easter.

Let’s start a new season – let’s be ohana. Let us be people who heard God’s encouragement and the encourgement of our Kapuna and our alii. Let us respond to the call of our great God. Let’s bow our heads in prayer.

Dear Father you have always heard our cries.

You have always protected us.

You have always provided for us.

And today with all our hearts we thank you. We praise you for the God that answers prayers

Amen

Questions:

• What is the significance of Palm Sunday?

• Why was idol worship abandoned in favor of Christianity

• How has Christianity affected us and our Hawaiian islands?