Marked for Renewal: Returning, Repenting, and Rebuilding

Ash Wednesday is a pause button for your soul—a chance to reflect, repent, and realign. Lent’s 40 days invite us to ask, 'Is God truly first in my life?' The ashes remind us of our fragility, yet through Christ, we are made whole. Like Jesus’ victory in the wilderness, this season calls us to embrace grace, not guilt, and build habits of faith, prayer, and generosity. Take one step toward God—and watch Him draw even closer.

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Transcript

Reflecting on Last Year's Lent Season

Speaker 1 0:12

wow, I can't. I can't even believe that it's already one year after lens, last lens season, one of the most significant seasons in my life, I would say. I mean, john is the witness wherever he is. Yeah, okay, cool, all right.

The Call to Return to God

Speaker 1 0:32

So it was, you know, just started in the Surabhi Gardens and we were asked to you know, come together in this time of Lent. And one challenge that I made myself is that I will not slow down in this season, because back in those days, almost six years back in this Lent season, was when I got the marriage proposal and, after a long strive in relationships, god made a way for me and I didn't want to take this season light. And my urge to each and every one of you, on this special day, ash Wednesday, if there is something that you are slowing down in your spiritual aspect, in your relationship with God, my urge and my recommendation would be to do not slow down. Get more deeper, get, get more closer to Jesus. Okay, and today we are going to look at the word of God and we are going to understand what Jesus went through, why he went through, and what we can go through together as a family in this Lent season, amen, okay, let's let's dive deep into the word of God, joel, chapter two, 12. My friend John read this during the welcome. Some of you missed it, but it's okay, that's what you know. That's what we are going to start off Even now, declares the Lord return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Okay, our God is a very personal God, someone who will not leave us. Okay, you know you are dirty, clean yourself and then come to me. That's not what. How our God responds the moment in our uncleanness. If we cry out to our God, just like we cried out in the worship time, in the praise time, we cried out in the worship time, in the praise time our God appears right then and there he's going to walk with us, cleanse us with his blood and he will make us holy for the task that he has given to each and every one of us, and that is one of the prayers that he says. That Lord says declares the Lord. Says return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.

The Purpose of Ash Wednesday

Speaker 1 2:46

Ash wednesday invites us to just pause. How many of you know the icon pause? What happens when we click on pause? Everything pauses, right? That's the functionality of the pause button. Right, if there is a pause button on your life, ash Wednesday, is that pause? Okay, do not be scared, it's going to be crazy if you press the pause button of your life, but that's what this Ash Wednesday is all about. It's inviting us to pause, reflect and return back to life. Okay, it is inviting us to pause our life, think where we are and return back to life, because our God is not someone who is going to call us into church and be in church forever, be in the church building forever. Our God is a God who calls us every week into the church and remind us that we are the church and forever, our God is a God who calls us every week into the church and remind us that we are the church and go back to our life and show to the rest of the world that we are the church and that's what you know. That is one reminder that we can remind ourselves on this Ash Wednesday, even as we start this 40 days of journey.

Historical Background of Ashes

Speaker 1 4:05

If you haven't made a decision to fast something, something that you love, the other day we were having a conversation and somebody probably said I will fast all the healthy food. Let's pause with that joke and reflect and return. You know we are not marking our foreheads with ashes. Obviously, none of you have. But there is a tradition that you know there would be an ash that would be put as a cross sign on our foreheads and the significance of that is that we are not just marking our foreheads with ashes, we are marking our hearts with surrender. You know, in these 40 days, all that we are diagnosing in our life is that is my God first or not. That is exactly what we are doing. Exactly what we are doing In these 40 days. In every moment, we will be under the, you know, under the umbrella of reflection and asking ourselves a question every moment Is my God first? If he is, that's great. If he's not, then I'm going to change that. And that's what this Ash Wednesday is going to begin in each and every one of our lives A 40-day journey of reflection, repentance and renewal.

Speaker 1 5:33

It is not just a ritual, but it is a response. Okay, it is not a ritual, it is a response. What are you responding with? Because ritual, if you do, that is okay, that is done. Ritual, checkbox, it is done. But if it is a response, then we have to respond with something that takes some amount of action from each and every one of us, because when there is no response, ritual does not make any meaning. But if there is a response that we give to God and say that, god, in this area you are not first, but I want you to be first, so I respond and make an effort from my side and also with the strength that that is there by my relationship with you, I will make the changes to make sure that you are the God of my life, and not my smartphone, not my Instagram, not my friends, not my family, none of this world, but God. You are first in my life. Every day is it's like going to a diagnostic center. Are my levels okay? Is God at my first level, first priority? If not, what is the medication? The medication is Jesus Christ. Sit with him. He is going to prune us and make sure that we are exactly in his image. Amen.

Speaker 1 6:58

If there is one statement that I would like to reiterate in this evening, is that come back home. I'm not talking about Hope Unlimited Church, although it's an amazing church, but home is the embrace of God. Have you been running away from God? Now, this is a reminder. These 40 days is where you can check yourself, introspect yourself every moment and say, god, are you my home? If not, I am running towards you. And you know what, if we take one step, god takes no, 10 leaps, not just 10 steps, because only father ran towards the son. Son was still figuring out with small steps. And that's how we are. God is just waiting for one step from us towards him and he's going to run towards us. Kiss us and, you know, change our identity back to the image of God.

Why We Fast for 40 Days

Speaker 1 7:56

Let's look at some historical background. Okay, welcome to the history lesson. It began around 6th century in the early church. It symbolizes mourning for sin and acknowledgement of our mortality. The moment we the tradition, according to the tradition, the moment we put the ash on our forehead, it is a reminder that we are dust. Yeah, is there anyone more than dust? Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are more than dust, but without him we are just dust. Okay, what remains after destruction is dust, is ash, and that's what we are. You know we are comparing ourselves to and we are saying, god, without you I'm just ash, I'm nothing. When the wind comes, it just blows away, but with you, I can be more than ash and dirt of this ground. Right To the dirt of this ground the man shall, or the humans shall, return, but through the blood of Jesus Christ we return to our home, which is the embrace of our Father. Amen, job, chapter 42, verse 6. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. And repent in dust and ashes. When we are in this season. If there is one call that you can hold on to is repentance, is repenting from our sins. Now, repentance is not just saying God sorry and then go back, but repentance is some kind of a change that you do on your behalf and express to God, saying God, I really want to change, I do not want to go back to the same sin that I have been doing for so long.

Speaker 1 10:01

Ashes were used in Old Testament times as a sign of repentance. Amen, daniel. Another reference Daniel, chapter 9, verse 3. It says so I turned to the Lord, god and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. So you see all throughout the Old Testament ashes, dirt, dust, sackcloth all these represent a moment of moment of mourning, reflection, repentance. You know all these terms that will, and the main objective of that is, that when they realize that they have sinned, when we realize that we have sinned and we come back you know, not wanting to face the consequence of sin we come back into his, into the presence of God, and say God, forgive me for I have sinned, make me clean, create in me a clean spirit, amen.

Speaker 1 10:59

Now here's something that I have learned, and it was very interesting the moment I heard about it. It was wonderful. Okay, so why do we fast for 40 days? Why do we fast for 40 days? Why do we fast for 40 days? It is a reflection of what Jesus did. After he was water baptized, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and there he fasted for 40 days and nights. Okay, now, why did Jesus fast? He was reflecting on the 40 years of journey of the Israelites in the wilderness. Now, you might ask me, jesus fasted only for 40 days. Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years. Now here's a scripture that ties both of them together. Now here's the around this scripture. This is what has happened. This is what has happened 12 spies went into the land of Canaan okay, and comes back, and 10 gives a report that we are like grasshoppers before the giants, amalekites, and there are only two, joshua and Caleb, who said that if God delivers them into our hands, that would be amazing.

Speaker 1 12:24

Did you see the grapefruits and the orange fruit? That definitely is the land flowing with milk and honey. If God said that you know you can inherit that land, who can stop us? No giant can stop us and that was the testimony. Okay, and these 10 spies spread this word throughout the Israel and wanting to go into a moment where you know they go to a moment where you know why did you even bring Moses and Aaron? Why did you even bring us into this wilderness? Why only to kill us? And there is a rift that happens between Moses and Israelites.

Speaker 1 13:09

And here's something that goes to the heights, where God intervenes and says something Okay, and this is what God is saying to the 10 spies Numbers, chapter 14, verse 34. For 40 years, for how many? For 40 years, one year. For each of the 40 days you explore the land, you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you. Now, this is God speaking and, towards the end of the scripture, god is saying you will exactly know what it is like to have me, god against you? What heights of that scripture Can anyone stand if God is against them? No, and here we see that Joshua and Caleb were the only two people who were excused from this curse. Excused from this curse.

Speaker 1 14:32

And here, in the beginning part of this scripture, we see the relationship between the year and a day. So now, when Jesus is fasting for 40 days, he is fasting not just for 40 days, but he is signifying the moment of 40 years that the Israelites were in the wilderness. Now, why did Jesus have to do that? Because Jesus is the representative for all humans who are sinners. And now Jesus becomes a mediator between God, the Father, and man. Amen. And in those 40 days.

Grace Greater Than Guilt

Speaker 1 15:16

Now you see that nowhere in the Bible Jesus was tempted, except for only in these 40 days. And again we see, in the garden of Gethsemane there is a serpent. Unless this is a greatest moment, satan wouldn't have tempted, right. And if you draw the parallel, one of the temptations was Jesus. If you are hungry, there is stone, why don't you make it bread and eat? What happened with Moses? He struck the rock, he struck the stone. Now, all throughout the ministry of Moses, he went and stopped near the stone, near the rock it was. The assignment of the rock is where Moses stopped his ministry. And now Jesus comes and picks up that ministry of rescuing Israelites, rescuing his holy nation, rescuing all the people who believed in Jesus, and taking them over into the promised land. Now Jesus picks up from that moment, does not give in to the temptation of turning the rock into the bread just to satisfy his hunger. He goes beyond it and takes the, and that's when his you know his three and a half years of ministry starts.

Speaker 1 16:41

Now I always wonder how much Jesus accomplished on this earth just being, you know, a representative on this earth, being, you know, a representative on this earth, if Jesus could accomplish so much in just three and a half years. Now, jesus himself said that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will do much more greater things, much more greater things. Turn to your neighbor and say you are meant to do much more greater things. Turn to your neighbor and say you are meant to do much more greater things. Okay, turn to the other neighbor and now say it with faith, with a smile on your face you are meant to do much more greater things, and that doesn't come without faith things and that doesn't come without faith. We have to stand with faith through the power of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are going to accomplish much more, greater things than what Jesus did in those three and a half years, and through us, jesus is going to do much more greater things, amen.

Speaker 1 17:57

Ash Wednesday reminds us that life is fragile, uncertain, time is short, sin is real, grace is greater, but grace is greater. If there is anyone in this room who are going through tough time of believing whatever you said to your neighbor or what your neighbor has said to you, grace is greater. There is only one thing that you can stop. That can stop you or me to not accomplish for what Jesus has sent each and every one of us onto this earth, and that is only guilt, because guilt is the consequence of sin. The moment we get into that guilt trap, grace cannot do anything, but the moment we get into under the umbrella of grace, guilt cannot do anything. Guilt cannot do anything.

Redefining Our Lenten Purpose

Speaker 1 18:51

Now, if there is one thing that I urge each and every one of you to start off this 40 days of Lent season is by coming out of the umbrella of guilt and get under the umbrella of grace, because grace is what empowers us. It is a holy interruption in our busy, comfortable lives to reflect on our soul's condition, realign our priorities and return to God with sincerity. Amen, shall we all do that together. And after all, jesus calls us the body of Christ, each and every one of us. He calls us collectively, and this is a cry not just from Hope. Unlimited Church. This Lent season is done all across the world.

Speaker 1 19:47

Now imagine the body of Christ, the church, coming together in these 40 days of fasting and prayer, all the persecution that we are seeing, all the bad news that we are hearing. We, together, as the church, can change the course of history. And it all starts with you coming back to God. Don't look at your neighbor now. It starts with you coming back to God. Don't look at your neighbor now. It starts with you. It starts with you. If you can change your world, imagine, imagine that If you can change your neighborhood, if you can change your college, if you can change your office, all the things that you think that it's not going right, what is this world? What is this evil? These 40 days we can realign with the purpose of God and through his authority, we can accomplish more to what is there in this life. Amen in this life. Amen.

Speaker 1 20:59

Isaiah, chapter 58, verse 6 and 8. Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen? To lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke. To lose the chains of injustice and unite the cords of the yoke. The purpose of this fasting is to lose the chains of injustice and to untie the bondage that is there on us, on our neighborhoods, and you and I can be the representative of the entirety of Israelites. Who are the Israelites? People who are under or within our circle of influence. They got to look at you and say how are you able to do this? And you say through the power of Jesus Christ, you got to come to the church. It's amazing. It feels like concert, but all the bad goes away. It's called Hope Unlimited Church. Come down, I will take you. Wouldn't that be a greatest sermon that you can preach without opening your mouth? Just live the life that Jesus recommends through the power of the Holy Spirit. He will do the things. Amen, Return, come honestly before God, repent, turn away from what's pulling you away.

Speaker 1 22:30

Rebuild, cultivate new habits of faith. The first thing that came to my mind the moment I heard about Lent season is that I definitely need to go to gym. I need to cultivate a discipline of becoming healthy. And then I read this Cultivate new habits of faith, prayer, generosity and scripture. Gym is nowhere in that.

Speaker 1 23:01

The word of God says that if your spirit is in the right place, if your heart is in the right place, if your heart is in the right place, if your heart is filled with right things, all the things that flow out of you will be right in the sight of God. It will be right in the sight of God. So now my introspection is to cultivate new habits of faith, prayer, generosity, scripture. Now, that redefines how I want to fast in these 40 days of Lent. Now I will give a moment to each and every one of you, even as we prepare ourselves in this Lent season, even as we begin this season. I don't want you to, on the 40th day, think that, oh no, I wasted 40 days of being hungry. If we start right, that's not going to happen. You will start growing from day one, and that happens when we realign ourselves, our hearts, our purpose, our callings, our agendas, everything with God, with God's plan. You.