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The Way of Death to Resurrection

Hey, everyone! Good evening!

I’m Pastor Socheat and I’m so glad to be with all of you - whether you’re joining us at our campuses or tuning in online. Tonight, we’re kicking off the season of Lent. You’ve heard a bit about it already - Lent is the 40-day journey leading up to Easter. And Ash Wednesday, often called the Day of Ashes, marks the start of that journey.

Ash Wednesday is a time for reflection. It’s a chance to hit pause and think about our need for Jesus, the shortness of life, and where we’re headed on this journey toward resurrection. It’s a time to slow down and think about Jesus - His life, His love, and what He sacrificed for us.

This year at Hosanna, we’re diving into the theme of "The Way." Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." So, part of this journey through Lent is reflecting on the trajectory of His life - His journey from life to death and to resurrection. These aren’t just theological ideas; it’s the very path that we’re called to walk as His followers. It's the path we're invited to follow, it shapes who we become and helps us look more like Jesus

As we enter this season, for a lot of us, attending church on Ash Wednesday is a tradition we’ve grown up with. It’s something we’ve known for a long time. One we’ve known since childhood. My own children, who have grown up in the faith, experienced this as well. But for me, coming to faith as an adult not growing up in the church or the Christian faith, Ash Wednesday holds special significance. My first Ash Wednesday was March 9th, 2011. I wasn’t a Christian when I attended but over time, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the value of pausing to confront my humanity, acknowledging my desperate need for Jesus, and reflecting on why I place my faith in Him.

But here’s the thing - sometimes traditions, like this one, can become routine. We do them because it’s just something we’ve always done. If that’s you, My prayer is that it changes tonight, because we can miss out on the deeper meaning if we don’t slooow down and truly live in these moments. Because the longer we sit with these traditions, the longer we live in these traditions, the more they can shape us. They become more than just actions; they become experiences that deepen our faith. Especially the tactile, tangible experiences - like lighting a candle in a cathedral to send prayers up to God or like tonight, when we use ashes to mark our foreheads with a sign of the cross.

We don’t do this to show off our religion or just so we can post a selfie of our forehead on social media. Which by the way, I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t. Actually, as a Pastor overseeing stuff online, I say post away. Just make sure you tag Pastor Ryan…jk tag Hosanna

But seriously, we don’t do it for those reasons. We are doing this to remember - From dust we came, and to dust we will return. We do this to remind ourselves of how fragile our lives are and that death on this side of eternity is inevitable.

But…why think about death? Seems kind of heavy, right? We reflect on the inevitability of death because it brings us closer to the heart of the Gospel - Jesus' death and resurrection. In acknowledging our mortality, we are reminded of the hope we have in Christ’s victory over death. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gives meaning to our own lives, offering us the promise of eternal life. By facing the reality of death, we deepen our understanding of the grace and salvation that Jesus offers, urging us to live faithfully, knowing that through His resurrection, death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life in Him. This is why the Gospel is The Good News. And through this, we are also invited to consider how God will use this season to grow us deeper in faith.

So, as we start this season together, I want to ask you:

Where will you be by Easter?

How will this 40-day journey shape you?

Will it draw you closer to Jesus and make you a more faithful follower of Him?

Who will you be by the time we reach the celebration of the resurrection?

Message

As I stand before you tonight, I want to take a moment to reflect on my own journey. Growing up, I had a strong awareness of how fragile life is. A deep sense of my own mortality. It might sound strange, perhaps, but death was a constant companion for me as a kid, I was always thinking about the possibility that tomorrow might not come. I heard stories about the genocide in Cambodia, where my parents and older siblings had escaped from, but where two of my older brothers didn’t make it AND growing up in the inner city, I saw how fragile life can be.

This sense of impermanence shaped my view of the world. At the age of five, I lost my 19-year-old brother in a car accident. He was so young, and I was just a little kid, but that loss hit me hard. A deep void of a significant person in my life no longer present. It left a hole in my heart that I carried with me for a very long time. I saw my first body bag when I was 9. Through my teenage years, I lost more friends to violence, accidents, and even depression. I nearly lost my own life a couple of times had to come to terms with the harsh realities of life and death. I’ve seen death up close, and it’s shaped how I thought about life.

Along the way, when I was 23, I also lost my mom to cancer, many other friends, loved ones and both my mother- and father-in-law passed away a little over a year apart from each other.

I don’t share this to say look at what I’ve gone through or woe is me.. I share this because each loss has added to the weight of understanding that life is fragile, and none of us are promised tomorrow.

Some of you might not feel that same weight of mortality in the same way. Death wasn’t a constant companion for you but let’s be honest - we live in a world where death feels more present than ever. From tragic events in our communities to the constant reminders in the news, death is something we can’t ignore. There’s no place that feels completely untouched or safe anymore. We’re constantly reminded of the reality of death.

We shouldn’t dwell in this in unhealthy ways. It’s important for all of us to remember that life is precious, BUT it’s also fleeting.

In fact, it was just one year ago that a good friend, mentor and Pastor, Peder Eide, spoke on this stage with his wife, Sherri. Pastor Peder was the Rosemount Campus Pastor and a long time traveling worship leader. At the time, he was in the midst of his battle with cancer, facing his mortality in such a tangible way. I had the privilege of walking with him through that journey, even to the very end. And even though he could confidently say, “Whether I live or die, either way, I win,” it was still incredibly difficult for him to let go of this life. It was difficult for everyone who loved him to let go of his life.

The truth is, we don’t know when our time will come. Whether it’s tomorrow, next year, or fifty years from now, we all face the reality of death. But in Christ, we are invited to embrace the full journey: life, death, and resurrection.

In Ecclesiastes 7:2-4, it says, “Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies - so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.”

It might sound strange, but this is actually really powerful. What the author of Ecclesiastes is saying is that we need to think about death because it can shape us. It can refine us. This passage ties right in to a wise saying I once heard, ‘Parties are fun, but they can be forgettable; funerals, on the other hand, are unforgettable.’ What a profound thought!

Each party is a celebration, but every funeral offers a moment to pause, to reflect, to understand life’s fleeting nature. It’s in these reflective moments that we discover what truly matters, much like how the wisdom this passage points to think deeply about life.

Isn’t that a balance we should embrace?

These words challenge us. They remind us that we, as the living, need to take death to heart. It’s easy to get lost in the pursuit of pleasure, in the distractions of life, but in Lent, we are invited to pause and reflect. We are invited to look death in the face - not to dwell on it in fear, but to let it refine us, to prepare us for resurrection.

Over 1000 of you here at Hosanna are taking the Practicing The Way Course this Hosanna. So good! The author and pastor of that course- John Mark Comer shares that he keeps a Skull on his desk as his "memento mori" (reminder of death) in his book PTW he says:

“The skull. It’s staring at me now, it’s hollow eye sockets boring into my soul, refusing to let me avoid the ultimate human reality: death. It could be half a century from now, or half an hour, but I am going to die, as are you. The stats are pretty compelling: near 100 percent. The reaper will come for us all. Hence the skull on my office desk.”

It's a sobering thought, but it’s also a powerful one.

Jesus himself said we need to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Jesus was clear that being a true follower of his included learning how to die every day.

In Luke 9:23-24: He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” - Luke 9:23-24

And that’s what Lent is all about- learning to die to ourselves, die to sin, and to embrace the suffering that leads to resurrection.

We die to self in the sacrifices we make - HOW? Something that a lot of people do in lent is fast, giving up something we enjoy, or serving others. These are all chances to practice surrendering and invite God into our lives in a deeper way. Fasting isn’t just about cutting out food or comfort; it’s about making space for God to work in our hearts. It’s a chance to step back from the distractions and focus more on Him, allowing our faith to grow. When we fast, we’re not just giving something up, we’re asking God to fill that empty space with His presence and help us grow closer to Him.

There are lots of ways to fast that don’t involve food - maybe you fast from social media, a particular habit, or some kind of comfort. Some might choose to fast from negative thoughts, or set aside extra time for prayer or reading the Bible. Serving others can be a form of fasting too, especially when it costs us something. Maybe it’s time to surrender that sin that’s been burdening you for so long, acknowledging how our sin nailed Jesus to the cross, and seeking forgiveness so we might be healed and restored.

The point isn’t about the sacrifice itself, but about how we use it as an offering to God. It’s about letting those sacrifices shape our hearts and draw us closer to Him. Fasting is all about surrendering our will and inviting God to transform us in the process.

The way of Jesus was to sacrifice Himself to death on our behalf. To live this way is to embrace sacrifice. What will you put to death, give up, or sacrifice in order to partake in this journey?

As we prepare to receive communion and ashes, I encourage you to reflect on the way of Jesus and ask: What is God calling me to let go of this Lent, so that I may experience resurrection in new ways?

As you receive the ashes tonight, remember what they symbolize. The Ash symbolizes the death we all face, but the cross, the cross points to the resurrection we can hope for in Christ. Let them remind you that the journey to resurrection requires a willingness to let go of our own desires, our own ways, and to follow Jesus in His way - through death and into new life.

Bring personal story back -

Earlier I shared that my first Ash Weds was March 9, 2011. I was not a Christian, I didn’t participate in the Ashes and if you would've asked me that night if I believed in Jesus, my answer would have been no. I did listen to the message tho…

Over the next 40 days, I invite you to focus on The Way of Jesus. Let this time be a formational journey, one that shapes and refines you. Let it be a season where you grow deeper in your faith, as you learn to die to the things that hinder you and rise to the life that Jesus offers.

In John 10:10 Jesus says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

In Jesus, we are granted peace that surpasses understanding, a satisfaction that the world cannot offer, and a cleansing that comes only through His sacrificial death on the cross. In Him, we find not only abundant life but also true wholeness, free from the destructive power of sin.

Closing Prayer

Let me pray for us as we begin this journey together:

Father, thank You for this season of Lent. Thank You for the opportunity to walk with Jesus, to reflect on His life, death, and resurrection. As we begin these 40 days, speak to our hearts, challenge us, and help us grow closer to You. We want to die to ourselves and rise to new life in You. We trust You will use this season to form us more into the image of Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.