Road Rage | Chad Narayan

0:00 Hey, welcome to another week here at Zoe Church. We are concluding the series that we've been in called The Jesus Road today. We're studying Luke chapters 22 through 24. But before we get into the message today, I just want to take a moment and thank everybody who generously gives their tithes and their offerings. We are so grateful and everything that we get to do is because of the faithful giving and tithing of our church. So we just want to say a quick thank you. You are here on 4th of July weekend, The Jesus Road. Here we go. We are concluding a series that we've been in today. We're concluding a series entitled The Jesus Road. How many of you have been enjoying going through The Jesus Road, the book of Luke? I love it. We've been in this series going through the life of Jesus, what Jesus values. We started with his birth.

0:56 We talked about just his miracles, the salvations that were happening, the restoration that was happening. We've looked at different things that he's done. We've looked at different values that he has, the standards that he has. But today, we are in Luke chapter 22, 23, and 24. Now, these are the most critical and crucial chapters in all of the Bible. They are the most critical and crucial, not only to the book of Luke, but also to the Bible and to our faith. Because here at Zoe, we believe that Jesus is God. Can I get an amen? We believe that Jesus is God. We believe that Jesus, being God, became man. He was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Shout out to Christmas. after being born he lived a perfect and sinless life for 33 years after 33 years he gave his life on the cross to be our to be the the sacrifice for our sin our shame to take on the condemnation of the world to defeat the enemy and he died on the cross a brutal death but he didn't stay there he was buried in a tomb for three days, and on the third day, come on, shout out to Easter, he rose again from the dead.

2:21 And that same spirit, the Bible talks about that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you and I today. He was seen by many witnesses for 40 days, and then he ascended back to heaven where he is seated at the right hand of the Father, praying for you, praying for I praying for us on our behalf. If you got some praise today, give praise to Jesus for all that he's done. No other religion can claim this. No other faith can say this. No other faith can say that their God became man, dwelt among us, died, and then rose again on the third day. No other religion can claim this claim that Jesus makes. And so as we study today's chapters, we're looking at the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

3:23 that we're gonna look at four different roads today, four different roads that Jesus and the disciples walk on in these four chapters, and the truth, the values that come out of it, what God is trying to teach us through these four roads. The title of today's message, I don't know if you experienced it this morning, but it's Road Rage. Road rage.

3:52 Any people suffer from road rage? Listen, I love y'all. But if there's an area that God is still working with me, it is in my road rage. I'll pray for you right after service, but if I see you driving slow on the road, we're going to have some words. Road rage. Road rage. A couple years ago, when Natalie, my wife, and I, we were living in the valley, we had two kids at this point. We left the house that day, and we were headed towards the freeway. And you ever come up on a freeway entrance, and you see that the line is backed up? Now, you have two choices when you see this. You have two choices. I can wait in the line, or y'all know where I'm going with this. you drive in that lane right next to it.

4:50 And when a small opening opens, you swoop right in. Come on. You're like, man, what did I get out of the message today? We just talked about traffic. But that particular day, I said, you know, I'm not going to wait in the line today. I'm going to wait until an opening opens up, and I'm going to swoop right in. So I'm driving, and I see that sliver. I said, I got it.

5:26 And I pull right up, and I'm right into the lane. And I get in the lane. I'm like, yeah, we got this. I'm not waiting in this long line. Now, the guy behind me wasn't too happy. The guy behind me proceeds to pull out of the lane, get into the next lane, jump in front of our car, stop his car, get out of his car. Now, at this point, you're kind of like, all right.

5:55 So I started laughing. He's yelling at me. Now, this wasn't like a confident laugh. This was a laugh of I'm kind of ha, ha, ha, ha. This is funny. This is cool. Hey, man, you should probably get back in your car now. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha. car started moving and he got back in his car and drove off i didn't expect that sort of reaction that day i just assumed i was doing something that we all do ourselves or at the very least has been done to us i didn't expect that kind of response that day and i think it makes me think that sometimes on the road of life on the journey of life that we find ourselves on With God, nothing is always as it seems. That with God, looks can be deceiving.

6:50 That with God, there are some times I'm on the road of life, and I find myself in situations I didn't expect. I didn't expect when you called me to this that this is how it was going to go. I didn't expect to be born to a family where my father was going to walk out on us. I didn't expect that when you said go into this industry that I wasn't going to get promoted for 10 years. I didn't expect when you called me to live in Los Angeles that it was going to be this difficult. I didn't expect when we got married that my spouse would walk out and leave me raising two kids. I didn't expect, God, you called me to this. Your word says that you're with me. Your word says that you're guiding me. Your word says that you're the author and the perfecter of this plan that you've written for me. God, if you are in control, God, if you are the author of my situation, if you're supposed to be with me, if you're my good shepherd, then why am I experiencing what I'm experiencing?

7:54 What is this road that you have me on? And oftentimes what it does is it produces what? It produces confusion. It produces agitation. It produces frustration. It produces anger. It produces, dare I say, rage.

8:15 God, what on earth could you possibly be doing right now? And oftentimes, we get on these roads and we're saying, well, I must be on the wrong one. Or I need to take control of the road that I'm on. because certainly I can't be on the right one if I'm experiencing these situations, these circumstances. And what I've found is that oftentimes the roads that you and I are resisting are oftentimes the ones that God is looking to reveal himself to us. It is on the roads that we find ourselves where we're saying, you know what, maybe if we just move, maybe if I just change careers, maybe if I just marry a new person, Maybe if I just go to a different occupation. Maybe if I just move to a different part of the city. And we fill ourselves with maybe after maybe after maybe after what if after what if after what if to only find ourselves frustrated when we get on a new road.

9:18 Because the road that we were on was the one that God had for us. We were just experiencing road rage. You ever see somebody with road rage? maybe you've experienced this yourself you're never experiencing road rage at peace you never are in road rage and have joy you're never in road rage and feel like man life is good God is good no what are you doing you're clutching the wheel 10 and 2 I gotta get this person I gotta get in front I gotta find my own way I gotta take this exit I gotta jump to this lane here The life of following God is at peace when I'm letting God lead me. How can I watch God work if I'm so busy resisting the roads that he wants to reveal himself and his plan on? How can I watch him work?

10:17 How can I see God move? How can I see God teach me things? How can I understand what God is doing? See, road rage says I'm on the wrong road, but faith says, no, God has me right where he has me. He's leading me. He's guiding me. And I'm going to trust him even if I don't understand the plan, even if I don't understand what he's doing. I want to look at four roads today, four roads that oftentimes cause us the most amount of frustration, agitation, and what Jesus is teaching us through all of them. The first road is this, the road of preparation. The road of preparation.

11:01 Jesus comes to Peter and John and he says, okay, we're gonna have this meal together. It's gonna be the Last Supper. I want you to head into Jerusalem. When you get there, you're going to see a man who's carrying a pitcher of water. I want you to follow this man. He's gonna take you to an Airbnb upper room and there I want you guys to start preparing the Passover meal. Peter and John are like, all right, cool, great. We don't got to take the other 10. Awesome, let's go. We're gonna have a great time. Let's do this. Hey, Jesus, what's the guy look like?

11:36 No, no, no, Jesus is gonna go into the town and you'll see him. No, but like, what's he wearing? Like, what kind of shoes is he wearing? Like, does he have long hair, short hair, fade? Is it slicked back? Like, no, no, no, you're just gonna go, you'll go into the town and you'll see him. Okay, so maybe you don't know what the guy looks like. Okay, but what's the color of the water pitcher that he's carrying? Is it Fiji water? Is it Voss water? Like, what kind of water am I looking for? No, no, no. You're just going to go into the town and you're going to see a guy and you're going to follow him to this upper room. Then you're like, hey, Jesus, I don't totally get it. So you're just saying we're just supposed to go? see we you and i we get so frustrated because we want the details we want the details before we say yes to the plan that's not how god works obedience leads to clarity the fruit of your obedience leads to the details see the disciples they just thought okay, we're going here, we're going to prepare this meal. But what God was saying is, no, I'm sending you to prepare redemption. See, the disciples thought they were going to follow a guy with a pitcher of water, but God was saying, no, I want you to follow the living water.

13:01 See, the disciples thought they were just going to some Airbnb up a room, but God was saying, no, I'm going to reveal a room and a space that you're going to step into in the future in which I'm going to release my Holy Spirit upon you. See, the disciples thought, hey, how can I prepare the meal? What are you asking me to do? But God was saying, no, I've already prepared it. I'm looking for you to step into it. I'm looking for you to walk in it. I'm looking for you to put one foot in front of the other. You may not have all the details. I may not know where I'm going. I may not know what I'm doing. There may be some frustration. Who does Jesus think he is to ask me to do this, to go pray for this person, to work in this industry, to stay together with this person, to raise these kids, to serve in church, to give generously? Who does Jesus think he is? Obedience leads to clarity. There are some things where God will say, here's exactly what I want you to do, and here's why I want you to do it. And there are some things that God will reveal the plan to you as you take steps. It's not going to make sense, but one foot after the other, God will reveal what he's doing in your life. Amen?

14:22 Come on, say Rotary H. And so this is what the disciples thought. And sometimes we get so stuck serving the plan instead of the planner. Sometimes we get so stuck in the gift rather than the gift giver. I'm waiting on this and I'm praying for this and I've been preparing for this and I've been looking for this. And God's saying, no, no, no, I'm the planner. I'm the gift. Relationship with me. and as you trust me, and as you walk with me, I will reveal my plan to you. I'm talking about road rage today. and road rage says well if I don't have all the details I'm not going to do it but God says no no you trust me and I'll reveal them to you as you walk with me amen come on clap and thank the Lord this morning for his grace in speaking to us and leading us along the way The second road that we see traveled here is the road of betrayal.

15:34 The road of betrayal. At the Last Supper, Jesus says, or Peter says to Jesus, he says, don't worry, I'm never going to deny you. He says, I'll die with you, Jesus. I'll die with you, Jesus shrugs it off and says, Peter, before the end of the night, you're going to deny me three times. Peter's like, no, I would never, I would never deny you. Jesus is like, before the end of the night, you're going to deny me three times. So they go to the Garden of Gethsemane, they pray, the religious leaders and the army comes and they take away Jesus. And it says that Peter followed at a distance. It says that Peter followed at a distance. Remember, before betrayal happens, a buffer is created.

16:31 Before denial happens, distance is created. I can't, because I don't want to be so close to who I'm about to betray. So I've got to create a buffer that makes it seem like I'm still with you, gives the illusion that I'm still with you, but I'm creating space. I'm creating distance, and Peter here is creating a buffer between him and Jesus. And it says in Luke 22 that Jesus, after Peter denies him, it says three times, it says that Jesus and Peter lock eyes.

17:12 It says that they saw each other. And it says that Jesus' words flashed in Peter's mind. you will deny me three times, and then the rooster will crow. And I have to take a step back, and I have to think about it from Jesus' perspective.

17:34 Jesus knows, no doubt, that Peter is following him at a distance. He's following him at a distance, and I would imagine that as Jesus is walking, hands tied, he gets to where the high priest is. Peter follows at a distance, and he settles in the courtyard. Peter finds a fire, and he's standing out there around this fire, and he's warming his hands, and he can see Jesus, but he's warming his hands.

18:07 And a person comes up, hey, aren't you that guy that was with Jesus? Peter's like, no, that's not me. No, you really look like that guy that was with Jesus. I remember, my friend, he was blind, and now he can see. I remember you were trying to stand right next to him. no that's not me another person comes by Peter denies it a third person comes by Peter denies it and the rooster crows and it says that Peter looks and he sees Jesus and they lock eyes and he knows the words flash in his mind and I have to I have to think about it from Jesus's perspective I have to imagine that Jesus is standing there hands tied. He can see Peter. He knows he's following him at a distance. And I have to imagine that Jesus is standing there while insults are being hurled at Jesus, while the same people that Jesus healed and ministered to are now denying him, are now giving false accusation, are now trying to indict him.

19:21 They're giving false testimony that as he's receiving everything that is hurled his way, he's thinking about Peter and he's watching Peter. and one person goes by and denies him, and Jesus counts down in his head, there's one.

19:46 More insults, more false accusations, there's two. More insults, more false accusations, three. and the person that said he would die for him is now weeping bitterly, looking at Jesus, knowing that he messed up. The great thing about this story and what it teaches us is it reminds me that oftentimes I tell myself a story that I'm the hero when I'm actually the villain. What it teaches me, just like with that story, I cut off that guy. he shouldn't have responded that way, but I cut him off.

20:46 And as much as I wanted to look at this guy, look what he did, he shouldn't have responded like that, I made the first move. And a lot of times, we have to understand with this story that I am Peter. You are Peter. We created distance between Jesus and ourselves. We created a buffer between ourselves and God. And I have to remember that I stepped away from Jesus first, not Jesus. but what I love so much is that after Jesus rises from the dead, he goes straight for Peter. He goes straight. He says, I want you to tell Peter. I want you to tell him that I am alive. There is nothing that you have done. There's no denial. There's no distance. There's no betrayal.

21:50 there's nothing that you have done that would create a distance that Jesus would not run after you that God would not go after you to restore you to love you come on Zoe to bring you back to health he's been with you every step of the way he's watched you he's guided you he's restored you. He set you free. And just like he did for Peter, I must remind myself, this is what God has done for me. And the thing that I have to remind myself is that if God did it for me, then who am I to hold somebody hostage to what they've done? Do I really have the right to hold somebody hostage to a decision that they made that betrayed me?

22:47 Do I really have the right to hold somebody hostage? Do I really have the right to hold a parent hostage? A family member hostage? A coworker? A boss? Do I really have the right to hold somebody hostage to a decision, a mistake, betrayal, denial? Do I have the right to imprison them based on something that they've done when Jesus doesn't do that to me? and Jesus, just as Jesus ran towards that person, the question to you and I today is, will I forgive those who have let me down? Will I forgive those who betrayed? Will I forgive those who denied?

23:37 See, in the road of life, I can't walk forward in what God has for me if I'm still stuck on things that I needed to let go. And so Jesus isn't saying that you have to wash what they did away or deny that it ever happened. But I can't hold them imprisoned and hostage to that decision. I have to let it go. Amen? And so with betrayal, it leads into one of the biggest tests, and it's this, the road of humility. The road of humility.

24:21 Simon is coming in. We go into chapter 23. Simon is walking in. It says that Simon the Cyrene was coming in that day from the countryside, and he sees all of this stuff happening. And at this point, Jesus has been beaten and tortured, and now he is carrying his cross to the hill that he's about to die on. And it says that Jesus is so exhausted that the Roman guards have to ask somebody to help. They have to ask somebody to jump in and help because Jesus is so exhausted. So here comes Simon. Simon's just coming up. Hey, what's going on? Is this a parade? Wow. No music. That's kind of weird.

25:09 And he walks up, and the Roman guards say, Hey, you! Jump in. Come on. Jump in. We need you to help. Simon's, what? What has happened? Oh, crucifixion. This is not a parade. Wrong line. Okay. And he jumps in. Says that he jumps in to help Jesus carry the cross, and he carries the cross behind Jesus to Golgotha. the hill that Jesus is going to die on. And what Simon teaches us on this road of humility is that my hands have to be ready. My hands have to be ready because I never know when God is going to call me in to action.

25:55 And if I'm frustrated and if I'm caught on another road that I'm not supposed to be on, my hands will not be ready to answer the call when God says, hey, it's time to take this on. Hey, it's time to, I know that your spouse walked out, but it's time to step up and parent these children. Hey, it's time to serve in church. Hey, it's time to lead a connect group. Hey, it's time to start giving. Hey, it's time to start, hey, I know you weren't expecting this to happen, but now it's time you are being called in to action. And if my hands are not ready, if my hands are filled with a grudge, if my hands are filled with fear, If my hands are filled with things that I should have let go 10, 15, 20 years ago, I won't be able and I won't be ready to receive the blessing that God has for me.

26:50 Simon was not prepared to be a part of history. He was not prepared to be a part of the crucifixion story. He was just at the right place, at the right time, around the right person, and he picks up his cross, and he follows behind Jesus, giving us a picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus today. That you and I, we pick up our cross, and we follow Jesus. And where he leads us, we say, we'll go. Where he leads us, we walk in faith. Even if it hurts, even if it's confusing, even if I don't know what the plan is, even if I don't know what God is doing, I still trust in God. Give him a praise today if you are thankful for God's leading. He's leading you. He hasn't given up on you. He's restoring you. He's leading you. He's guiding you. And if my hands are not ready, I will not be ready to receive what God has for me. Years ago, I went fishing with my dad, and it was the first time I'd ever been fishing, and I caught a fish, and I was so pumped. The first fish I can remember catching, I'm like, this is so great, dad, and you know, you're struggling with the fishing rod, and he got a reel, and all this kind of stuff, and I finally caught a fish, and my dad catches it, and he brings it in, and he shows me, and I'm elated. I'm like, we're eating this thing tonight. Let's go, right, and I'm so pumped, and he goes, okay, now we got to throw it back. I said, what? Did you not just see me?

28:23 Right? And he's like, no, no, no, this is a catch and release pond. This is a catch and release. This is a catch and release. This is a catch and release. There are things you cannot catch from God if you are not ready to release your past. If you're not ready to release that spouse, if you're not ready to release that family member, if you're not ready to release that season, if you're not ready to release that job, if you're not ready to release that person, if you're not ready to release that grudge, how can I carry a cross if I got a cross in one hand and fear in the other? I can't. This is what I love about Zoe people. Zoe people, they're crazy. You meet a Zoe person, they're so faith-filled, they're so kind, they're so ready to pray. You meet a Zoe person on the street, you meet a Zoe person in the courtyard and you'll ask them, hey, how was your week? And they'll say to you, they'll say, you know what?

29:16 I lost my job. But they'll say it with a smile. And you say, what are you talking about? Are you happy that you lost that job? Were you looking to lose that job? And they say, no, I just lost my job. You ask them, well, what's going on? Well, I just got this diagnosis and I wasn't expecting it and I don't like the news. But they say it with a pep in their step. They say it with a clap. They say it with a smile. Zoe, people are crazy like that because they're faith-filled. They're not willing to look to the left or to the right. They don't have their hands filled in something else. Come on. Zoe people are faith-filled. They don't need the worship team to help them worship on a Thursday, on a Wednesday, on a Friday, on a Saturday, on a Sunday. I got faith that God is for me and not against me. Zoe people are so humble because they recognize that God is leading them. Zoe people are so humble because they realize that I may be going through hell on earth, but I got some dancing in my shoes.

30:13 I got some clapping in my hands. I got some praise in my lips. I don't need a worship team. I don't need Pastor Chad with me on a Wednesday. I got a voice. I got a Bible. I got a connect group. I got community around me. I'm going to worship through the storm. I'm going to praise when I don't get it. I'm going to praise through the confusion. I'm going to praise even though that person hurt me, even though that person betrayed me, even though I got a grudge in fear. I got God on my side. Who's against me? What can man do to me? What can man do to me? I got a catch and release. I got a catch and release. I got a catch and release. How can I take what God has for me if my hands are filled with things I needed to let go. And today, see, I'm talking about road rage. I'm talking about being, having your hands filled with stuff that I shouldn't be anymore because how can I receive from God what I need to receive? How can I walk in what God has for me? How can I be the person that God has called me to be? How can I be the husband that I'm called to be? How can I be the family member I'm called to be if I'm stuck holding on to things I should have let go?

31:26 See, I'm talking about road rage. And humble people, humble people say, I don't have all the answers. And this road is very confusing. And this road is very hard.

31:48 But if I don't let it go, it will only consume and consume and consume. and I won't be able to be the person or walk in the calling or understand what God is doing in my life. And so Hebrews says it like this, let us throw off, let us cast off every restraint, everything that holds us back, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. I don't know who hurt you. And I don't know the betrayal or the grudges or the childhood or what you've experienced in life. I don't know.

32:41 But what I do know is there is a God who will restore, heal, mend, help you stand back up and keep going on the path that he has for you. come on let's clap our hands and thank god today invite the worship team to come join what does all this lead to what does all this lead to well the destination is joy See, happiness is contingent on my situation, but joy is contingent on my posture. I get to choose joy. Jesus is talking after he's raised with two disciples, and they're walking on the road to this town, and they can't recognize that it's Jesus. And he's talking with them, and he asks them, hey, what are you guys talking about? And they look at him like, what are you, what?

33:45 Do you not just know, do you not know what's been happening in the last three days here? Are you serious? He's like, what are you talking about? Look at what it says. Look at what it says from one of the disciples. One of the disciples says, we had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. Some of us are here today with that same message. I had hoped. I had hoped to be married by now. I had hoped to be further along in my career. I had hoped to have children by now. I had hoped that my parents would come to faith. I had hoped that I'd gotten a better diagnosis. I had hoped that God would have answered this prayer.

34:42 I had hoped that God would have provided this home. I had hoped, I had hoped, I had hoped. The funny thing about these disciples is they were talking to hope himself. They were talking to Jesus, the author of hope. They were talking to God himself, the one who is our hope, the one who is our future, the one who is our God, the one who is our Lord, the one who is in control. they were talking to hope himself. The road didn't change. Their revelation did. God is on a road with you today. And the question isn't, God, take me off of this road. The question now becomes, God, what are you trying to reveal to me on this road? says that after Jesus had risen and they'd spent 40 days with him and he ascends to heaven, it says that they went back to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

35:51 Filled with great joy? This is Jesus. The resurrection has happened and now he's gone. How could I experience great joy? Because the joy is not getting the blessing. The joy is not getting the answered prayer. the joy is recognizing that Jesus is on the road with you, that he's walking with you, that he's talking with you, that he's showing you how to do it, that he's leading and guiding you. That is the great joy. I don't serve the plan. I serve the planner. And they were filled with great joy.

36:28 So for us, we have to remember that our memories are ministers. Our memories are ministering. So today, what's ministering to your mind? Are you ruminating and rehearsing and reminding yourself and talking about it and going in circles? all about the things I don't have, all about the places I could be, all about the things I should have at this point? Or am I rehearsing just how good God has been? Am I rehearsing that God is for me, that he's not against me? Am I rehearsing that he's my good shepherd, that he's the living water, that he's the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, that he's the author and the perfecter of my faith, that he's the lion of the tribe of Judah, that he's the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, that he is my provider, that he is the resurrection and the life.

37:39 What are you rehearsing? Talking about road rage. what gets me so focused and angry sometimes is I'm so lost in the things that I should or could or would have that I miss everything that God has already done and is currently doing in my life. Amen. Come on, let's stand. Hey, thank you again for joining us today. If you want to get involved, please feel free to go to our website zoechurch.org but we love you Zoe and we're praying you have the best week.