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November 1, 2020 • “Fresh Wind” • Pastor Dan Chun I have found that being a follower of Jesus is one commanded them. Notice, not obey some, but obey huge adventure. I don’t need to travel anywhere. all that He had commanded them. Being a Christian is an adventure because I don’t always know where the Lord is leading me. Sometimes This was the very first Zoom meeting as He then it really stretches my faith. He’s unpredictable. He zoomed up into the air, into the iCloud! (That is such a always leads me into something that I think is beyond bad joke! I don’t know if it is a dad joke or a Dan joke.) my capability. It can be scary or exciting … or both. Before Jesus left, He told the disciples that, in a few Well, our church is going through an adventure far days, the Holy Spirit will come upon them. Now when greater than we could ever have imagined. We are someone says to me in a few days, I think 2 or 3 days, about to embark on a very special four weeks! but 2 or 3 days later nothing happens. Fourth day nothing happens. Maybe some of the disciples start to So, what is God doing in our midst? It’s why the elders argue, “Does “few” mean two days, three days, or four and staff and I are calling us to call upon the Lord in a days?” Five days—nothing. Six days—nothing. Maybe big congregational prayer walk on part of our golf they are getting antsy. When you are waiting for a course on Saturday, November 14, to seek His wisdom. friend and she doesn’t come for six days, that is major We are asking for the Lord to have His Holy Spirit fall trouble. Or your Christmas gift comes six days late— upon us, lead us, guide us. that is a long time. Seven days pass—nothing. Eight days pass—nothing. Nine days they are waiting around Speaking about the Holy Spirit, today we begin our —still nothing. Tenth day, it’s like, “Whatever!” #can’t four-part study from the Book of Acts as part of our wait! They all go to a room together. Normal day. Fresh Wind sermon series and small group study, which marks the midpoint of our 2-year Raise the Sails But then, boom! It happens! A crazy supernatural thing generosity journey. happens. The Holy Spirit falls upon the disciples, just like wham! They were in a room together, just talking What happens in the first chapter of the Book of Acts story, when they saw and heard a violent, rushing, is so important for us to understand for today. It has a forceful wind enter the room! But it wasn’t just the lot to do with the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit. audio, it was also the visual. There seemed to be like a Our story from the Bible begins with Jesus. He has tongue of fire above each of the disciples’ heads. risen from the dead and stays on earth for 40 days to Then, back to the audio, they began to speak in give Him enough time to show people that He really tongues, at least 12 languages, known to the citizens was indeed resurrected. But He also wants to give His in the area, but unknown to the disciples. final charges, like “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of They were so overwhelmed with the Spirit, so full of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them to joy, that they stagger out into the street as they had so obey,” not just listen, but obey all that He had much authentic, divine gladness. “Fresh Wind” • Pastor Dan Chun • November 1, 2020 • Page 1 The townspeople in Jerusalem thought they were Know that, if you ask the Holy Spirit to come into your drunk and were amazed at how many languages they life, to fill you no matter what your age, young or old, could speak. the Spirit will guide you and lead you and speak to you. The fresh wind of the Holy Spirit came like a powerful wind upon them and—whoosh—it went into them. We have been a church learning especially over the Four things amazingly happened to the disciples. It’s last 20 years what it means to pray in the Spirit and the mark of a Spirit-filled life and so it can happen to expect to see miracle healings or to experience you—a fiery passion. There are four characteristics of prophetic words, which we define as divine words people filled with the Holy Spirit. from God that primarily do three things—encourage, strengthen, or comfort people. Ask God to fill you with People of the Spirit… His Holy Spirit. Have you ever prayed that prayer? 1. will be supernaturally empowered by God Maybe I should lead you in that prayer. But first, back 2. will be unified. to the story. 3. will be generous. 4. will be centered on Jesus. After the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples on that day of Pentecost, according to our Scripture passage, Peter First point—supernaturally empowered by God. After told the townspeople in this story about Jesus. See the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, the Apostle what their response was! Let’s continue in our story in Peter, one who denied Christ at least three times, the the book of Acts. fisherman who often misspoke, suddenly became eloquent in the Spirit and declared, quoting a prophet Acts 2:37-39 named Joel, 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, Acts 2:17-19 “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to 17 In the last days, God says, “I will pour out My Spirit them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in on all people. Your sons and daughters will the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy men will dream dreams. 18 Even on My servants, Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in and for all who are far away, everyone whom the those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show Lord our God calls to Him.” wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.” Repentance is important. Baptism is super important. And then comes the filling of the Holy Spirit in a This new fresh wind of the Spirit that came upon them special way. allowed followers of Jesus of all ages—young and kupuna—to risk, to have courage, to see visions from The Bible text says that the people heard this and God, to have dreams, big dreams that come from God, were baptized and 3,000 people converted that day! and that they would see miracles here on earth. 3,000 people! Then—get this—our passage leads us to point #2—people of the Spirit will be called into Remember, it was the fresh wind of the Spirit that unity. We pick it up in this verse. We will soon see allowed one of our kupuna 15 years ago to have a what happened after the Holy Spirit fell on all of the dream that pointed us to buy the Ko‘olau property, people. which was not even on our radar and it wasn’t even for sale. You see, it had to be a supernatural leading from Acts 2:42 the Lord or else we would not have moved on it. And 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ it came through a dream, from a man named Don teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread Parker, who said he never dreamed. and the prayers. “Fresh Wind” • Pastor Dan Chun • November 1, 2020 • Page 2 They were unified. Notice the word “devoted.” They could join the team, then I think all people could be devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, invited and included. God called them to unity. meaning they devoted their whole life to learn more about this Jesus. But they also devoted themselves to So let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or, should be a fellowship of believers—a real community! And I talk about the other party—the donkey in the room? they devoted themselves to the sacrament of the Or, the independents? breaking of bread in communion, remembering always Jesus died for them but was resurrected. And they Now, more than ever, we need to be unified in Christ, devoted themselves to prayer. no matter what political party or persuasion we may be from, no matter if you do or don’t get the candidate The question is: are we devoted to those things? you want. This is the Church! There will be unity if we are devoted to seeking the presence of God in our worship and the breaking of Know there is someone trying to play with our minds bread, in prayer, in studying the Word, in a regular right now. This is the ultimate hacker—a demonic fellowship of a community of followers of Jesus. That’s hacker—Satan himself. what Church is all about. Yeah, I know. It’s hard for modern thinking, scientific- The fresh wind of the Spirit brought them together for minded, sophisticated Americans to believe that there that reason.