Pastor John Tilton, Rien Vidad, Dawn O'Brien
October 17, 2021 - W2142

"Coming Home"

Home Where Life Began

Pastor John Tilton

October 16 & 17, 2021

Aloha and welcome, New Hope Oahu! God works in wonderful ways to call people home. This Thanksgiving will be better than ever because last year we were locked down, locked up, and lonely!  This year, we'll celebrate! Thanksgiving stands for a time of family, fun, and feasting! 

In our new series, "Home Where Life Began," is about where we were born and the way we were raised because they affect the way we respond to things, even when we don't realize it!  We'll be talking about unfinished business--our relationship with family! God wants us to address this issue so we can be all that He has called us to be!  It is often painful work because it dredges up things from the past!  Maybe you came from a great family but there were things that happened or said, and God wants us to resolve them. Our first point is:  

1.  God Often Calls Us to do Hard Work with Heart Work for His Work

God wants us to have good relationships.  On February 10, 1978, I married a white freckle?face Jewish, German, Samoan, Italian princess, who was a dancer. We got married and the whole world was before us! Me being Chinese, the first home we bought was a one?bedroom condominium in McCully, and my son Ikaika came along, and we sold the condominium and bought a townhouse in Hawaii Kai--our dream home in Hawaii Kai!  

But God had other plans because He called us back to Waimanalo to take care of my father. My dad was bigger than life.  He could do anything.  In the '60s, I was 12 years old, playing cowboys and Indians!  Imagine telling all my friends, "My dad was a real cowboy."  He was.  My dad could do anything because he owned a riding academy in Olomana and put on rodeos at Honolulu stadium.  My dad could do anything.  He was bigger than life!  One of his big business accomplishments was that he was the foreman of Kaiser Construction and oversaw the buildings of Hawaii Kai and turned ponds into waterways and landfills!  My dad could do nothing wrong!  

Suddenly, dementia and other health problems set in, so I went home and took care of him for a year and a half--I carried him from the bed to the bathroom, to the car, to the doctor.  Remember, he was bigger than life!  I washed him, changed his soiled Depends, and gave him his IV.  When he looked into my eyes (because he couldn't talk) those eyes said, "Thank you.  Thank you for coming home."  But he passed and shortly, my mother became ill, and I took care of her every morning what she needed, then go to work, and come home late at night, sometimes.  But she, too, passed away shortly.  They say that couples who have a special love oftentimes will go one after the other. I realized one day that the real reason God called me home wasn't only to be a caregiver for my parents, but to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them--they got saved!  

Yes, sometimes it's so difficult to talk to your parents because they're bigger than life! Here's my point:  God took me home to do hard work.  That hard work was that my dad couldn't talk or walk, and I carried him--sometimes he would mess all over me and I washed and changed him.  Now, I could reverse and give back to my dad for all that he had done for me, and later for my mom, too.  To know that I could honor them--that's why God called me home!   

Ephesians 6:2-3 NIV says: ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

God is calling us to honor our parents, reaching out and telling them how much you love them; helping them in a certain way because they are your parents and you are honoring them before the end comes, or the Lord comes! 

Psalm 133:1?3 NIV says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.”  

I have the pleasure of introducing the co-leaders of our powerful Life Change ministry, Rien and Malama Vidad.  I've been able to watch like a mosquito on the wall what goes on online. It's so powerful, it changes lives! Rien will share his going home and coming home.  

1 Timothy 5:8, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

RIEN:  One of the great things about this pandemic is that we've been able to spend a lot of time with our family--but when you're locked down and spending that much time together, sometimes it gets very difficult, as we may say hurtful things to one another! God may allow things to happen to us that makes no sense, but if you trust Him, He's working things out for your good!  

Let me share two stories to illustrate this point and segues nicely from what Pastor John talked about with his dad:  About 10 years ago, my wife and I went through a rough patch in our marriage, and we decided to separate.  I'll never ever forget the drive to the North Shore to my folks' house.  I was literally going home and it wasn't a choice I wanted to make, but my wife and I agreed it was the best thing for us at that time.  But my pride was getting in the way saying, "You don't need any help.  You can figure this out on your own."  

Life Change had been on my heart because they focus on loving God, people, growing healthy relationships, and blessing families. What relationship is He asking you to work on before it's too late?  Is it a relationship with a mom or a dad, a brother or a sister, a child, even a grandchild, or spouse or somebody at work, or somebody you had an argument with last week about something so manini (small) that you don't understand why you're not talking?  As Pastor John asked, "Who is God placing on your heart?"  My question is:  "What family is the Lord calling you home to?"  May I encourage you to not put it off too long because you don't know how much time you have. 

2. Sometimes the Things that Cause Us the Greatest Pain, God uses for Our Greatest Good

Romans 8:28 NIV says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

 When my dad passed, I told the Life Change ministry I need a break to grieve, which turned into 2 1/2 years because one month after my dad passed, my brother passed away. I said, "Life is just too hard.  I can't serve.  How will I serve if I can't even deal with what's going on with me?" My family said, "If life ever gets too hectic and chaotic, you can always come home, and we'll be here to support you." The next 2 1/2 years, we got a little off track with our family, and I knew that I had to do something, but thought I can figure this out on my own--I don't need anybody's help. I realized my pride was saying that and I need to go home, but it took a while.  

I kept trying to do it all on my own, and I couldn't! I knew I needed to come home. When I looked at a cross, I saw the relationship with our Heavenly Father virtually, and the relationships with my brothers and sisters on this point.  I needed to be surrounded by my church family, so I came home, and that's where I've been serving with my wife ever since.  Life Change had been on my heart because the focus of the ministry is to love God, to love people, to grow healthy relationships, and bless families! 

PASTOR JOHN TILTON:  Many of you know that our next speaker grew up in Hilo, and that her spiritual father, of course, is Pastor Wayne [Cordeiro]!  I am honored to have her home here at New Hope Oahu--we are so excited to have Dawn O'Brien share about coming out!    

DAWN O'BRIEN:

3. HOME = A Setting in Your Heart 

Romans 8:38-39 NIV says: "³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I would love to greet you the way that we did for so many years on 95.5, The Fish.  "It's the dawn of another beautiful day in Hawaii nei."  That was a long time ago.  We are all just children trying to find our way home, and I finally found my way back home!  It took almost 40 years! That sounds biblical--like 40 years in the desert! 

In 1984, I was 14 years old, and had walked into New Hope Hilo at the Boys and Girls Club, at the time.  On that day, I had a plan for death, but God had a plan for life as I remember well, Pastor Wayne preached from Jeremiah 29:11 NLT: "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." 

But then my deep inner issues bubbled up and exploded!  I was Dawn of a New Day by morning, but a Wicked Wahine by night.  You see, that broken little girl was still in there and hurting on the inside!  I didn't kill myself with suicide but was killing myself with work and bad life choices, and it all came crashing down! In 2014, I was fired from 95.5, for corporate reasons.  I was devastated and went into depression.  In 2015, the Lord moved me into the wilderness of Molokai. In 2017, I had a come?to?Jesus, moment.  I was arrested for DUI, and through that, I finally faced my inner hurts and issues--my broken little girl.  I went to a prayer and deliverance ministry called Healing Hearts.  It's a lot like Life Change here at New Hope with Rien and Malama Vidad.  I learned agape, unconditional love, and I was set free and healed, finally!  

Fast forward, I grew up and became a media personality and started doing TV and preaching right here at New Hope Oahu!  I was Pastor Wayne's assistant, and we did a show together called, "Connecting Point."  Then I went on to host my own show on Christian TV, "The Dawn of a New Day," as a radio DJ on 95.5 FM, The Fish.  

You see, God made our hearts to seek for home and heaven!  It's like a GPS (global positioning system) in our cars or cell phones, it will always make sure that we get home. If we make a wrong turn--it will always redirect us back home!  I tried so hard all my life to smash and reset the setting of my heart and not need a home, family, or love--but in the end, I learned that the only thing that works is home, family, and love! That's where our greatest destiny and ultimate fulfillment are found, as Rien just said, "Home is the only setting that works!"   

4. HOME = A Forever Family, NO MATTER WHAT! 

Agape is unconditional love from Abba Father.  Once we find that agape, or in Hawaii, aloha; and when we find aloha, we find ohana--the root is aloha, the fruit is ohana!

I grew up in a hard family, like many of you, fighting, divorce, abandoned, abused, afflictions, and addictions.  But God is in the reconstruction and resurrection business and resurrects dead hearts and dead relationships!  God can resurrect a dead woman walking and create a bride of Christ in Jesus's name!  And guess what, she's back!

Let me finish where I began:  We are all just children trying to find our way home.  Amen?  Won't you come home to a forever family today?  I did.  I'm home now.  I'm so blessed and grateful that New Hope always was, always is, and always will be my home!  Aloooha!

PASTOR JOHN:  God moves in amazing ways because it was on that Wednesday at our midweek service that Pastor Wayne commissioned me. I was standing here, and Pastor Wayne was here. Dawn and Pastor Wayne hadn't seen each other for many years, but when he saw her, they came together, hugged, and said, "I love you," as Pastor Wayne is like Dawn's spiritual father. It was a God moment! 

STUDY QUESTIONS:  

1.      How are you showing others how God has been working in your life?'
2.      In what ways are you giving God your best work?
3.      How have you overcome a challenge in your life with God’s assistance? 
4.      What does God’s heart work mean to you?
5.      How are you coming home to God’s love?