Road Trip : On Ramps

3:33 - Welcome into the room

Road Trip Series Slide

Do me a favor and think back to when you were a brand new driver. You know back in those teenage years, or maybe for those of you in the room that are teenagers you’re in that season right now. And I wonder what was the most frightening thing about being a new driver.

They have surveys for everything these days. Stiudies to evaluate somebody’s thoughts emotions, or feelings, right in just about any setting. Brand new drivers…yup they have been questioned - as well as those who have to sit in the seat with brand new drivers.

Top 5 scary elements of new driving…

Low Speed Parallel Parking - not inherently dangerous but some of you are getting emotional even thinking about it. AND you have been driving for 20 plus years.

Driving in heavy Traffic - Especially in the metro areas - jambed up freeways are one thing, but jambed up urban streets - Makes a movie I won’t mention the name of…chevy Chase just keeps repeating “Oh look kids Big Ben…I just cant get left…ha

Changing Lanes, makes the list as well as turning left across oncoming traffic.

Essentially…driving….driving brings anxiety.

BUT the chart topper…

Merging onto a Freeway…the dreaded

Road Trip - ON RAMP

Why are on-ramp so scary. Well there’s a lot of things that go into it all at once.

I’ll never forget I was 16 years old and I was entering into I think it was 435 in Shawnee KS, I was hitting the highway and trying to get up to speed, hit a patch of ice - of yeah did I mention there are ice patches at on ramps - and my little Ford Ranger started to spin out - some cadillac - I will never forget - saw me spin hit the breaks and they started to skid missed the back end of my truck by inches…Miracle no crash - or at least no vehicle collisions as far as I know.

Why are ON RAMPS SCARY? - You can’t inch your way into an on-ramp you can’t be cautious. You have to go for it.You have to speed up quickly and then you have to merge into traffic. Traffic that’s coming up behind you. So you can’t really see who’s coming unless you know how to use your mirrors and your blind spots. There is pressure on the timing of it all.

Once you start, you can’t stop, once you hit the ramp, you have a time limit, and you have to merge into traffic at a rate of speed that won’t get you run over over.

Speed, Mirrors, Timing, Traffic, Signals, STRESS!

Some people just refuse to do it, I am not sure how they navigate the city, but its a hurdle to overcome.

Good Instructors help remove the fear by calming fears, explaining the movements, places to practice - not in rush hour - and regularly help the student put themselves in the various elements required for a successful on ramp moment…but eventually they gotta bring ‘em to the on ramp

Why am I talking about On Ramps…

Welcome to the new series that will put us on the road to Easter. Over the next few weeks we are going to get on the road with Jesus - a Road Trip to the cross.

Over this six week ROAD TRIP, we’ll stop at key moments along Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem - the road to the Cross. As the destination draws closer, Jesus shifts His teaching style from training to transforming.

Life with Jesus - through the lens of the disciple has always been transforming - YES - and now the message grows sharper, maybe a little more risky - and certainly more confrontational.

These final lessons, especially the lessons in story form - will evoke a response from the people in ear shot.

Its like an On Ramp of sorts - it is time to get on the road and Jesus knows whats coming and its time for a little pressure. What better way than teaching, confronting, exposing, challenging through story.

If you want to know the churchy word for this teaching style - its..

PARABLE

What do I mean by Parable - it is a story told in narrative form. An example from real life, circumstances or situation’s, that put the listener in the story. Jesus used commonly understood items in the landscape, the household, the community to provide a vehicle to carry Truth - Deep Transformational, Paradigm Shifting TRUTH.

This brillaint method of conveying difficult, edgy, risky, whatever word you want to use, teaching because it allows people to DISCOVER the lesson.

Teaching instruction is great - and it is best when the message or the lesson is not simply “Taught” but it is “Discovered.” Jesus’s parables on his final road trip to Jerusalem intensified and those listening began to discover - for themselves - what Jesus has been saying all along.

Parables bypass the resistance that often rises when we are confronted with instruction. Instead of being told what to think, we are invited to discover the truth for ourselves.

When you find yourself inside the story, the story begins to work on you.

Because instruction informs—but story sticks. Long after directions fade, stories linger, shape us, and call us to respond.

So Our ON RAMP to the Road Trip is an ON RAMP in its own right…

Matthew 21:28–32 (CSB) “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’ “He answered,

‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing.

‘I will, sir,’ he answered, but he didn’t go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

There is a lot happening in this short parable. Let em give you a little context for where and why this story is risky, a little edgy…

There’s a lot going on in this region. This is occurring after Jesus enters on Palm Sunday. So you may be recalling if you don’t know, that’s totally great. But Jesus arrives to a lot of fanfare. People shouting in the streets, hosanna on highest people, waving palm branches that signify victory

There’s a lot happening in the city. And then early in the morning when he’s back at the temple in Jerusalem. So the road trip that he’s on is really around Jerusalem, Jerusalem, like Bethany Bethpage and he is about to do a lot of final teachings in the area.

Leading up to this moment, he is at a temple and the chief priests and the elders challenges authority. Essentially they saw the fanfare. They’re upset and frustrated. Because it challenges their authority. Because of what he’s taught up to this point.

Jesus has not shied away from any confrontation with the religious elite. And now there is a growing sentiment in the city, a very populated city, because of the time of year being the Passover time of year that Jesus is unique that He is filled with great wisdom and divine power.

With all this fanfare, well, let’s just say there are many who are offended by that. And are trying to dismantle it, actually dismantle Jesus. But they have to be very careful and how they do it.

So, the chief priests to challenge Jesus. They tried to challenge his authority. The elders ask about the authority that he has. And Jesus, in his typical fashion responded with a question that put them on edge.

Matthew 21:25 (CSB) Did John’s baptism come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’

This verse highlights the tension they feel, the tensions they are experiencing as leaders of the synagogues. The chief priests and elders. They want to silence the one that the crowds love. They have to somehow uproot their love for him.

It is in this environment that Jesus tells the parable, the story in a way that they can understand. Actually a story that the people that are listening in really can understand.

That’s how parables work right. I just explain that a little bit a minute ago. But it is all based on the contextual reality of somebody’s life. So Jesus will use story form to help people that are listening, put themselves into the story. And when they’re in the story, they can better discover the lesson at the heart of the story.

So let’s go back to the parable

Matthew 21:28 (CSB) “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’

Context Context Context - In a parable, the context is supremely important for a variety of reasons. If we were not careful we could miss something deeply important to the parable.

In our 21st let’s century lens we might look at this as simply a dad, asking his kid to do a chore. We might see it is me asking Max to go take out the trash, or clean your room, or feed the dog, mow the yard…but thats not the case.

In the Jewish context, the vineyard carried with a lot of weight. What did Noah plant right away when he landed on the shores of dry ground? Of vineyard. How is Israel described when they are removed from Egypt and brought into the promised land. They described as a vine that was placed in fertile soil.

A Vine that was supposed to produce healthy vibrant fruit. Fruit that is a blessing to the entire region - not just each other!

Psalm 80:8–14 (CSB) You dug up a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out sprouts toward the Sea and shoots toward the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit? Boars from the forest tear at it and creatures of the field feed on it. Return, God of Armies. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine,

In this single sentence, Jesus is setting the stage – essentially setting a trap – for the religious elite to acknowledge God’s command to be a vine that produces good fruit. And that there is work to be done by the laborers of the Vineyard.

The Man - is God the Father

Asking his two sons to do the work within the vineyard - the work of God under the promises of God within the kingdom of God.

Thats the context -

God is asking for work to be done in His Vineyard under His Promise

Enter The two sons…

TWO CHAIRS ON STAGE

On the one hand - or in this chair - Jesus describes the son who rejects the request of the father - outright.

Driver Seat #1: “I don’t want to”

This kind of response would’ve been shocking to the original audience. The idea of a son outright disrespecting the patriarch of the family in a public setting, would be unheard of. Especially for a family that was well-off or with a dad who had property rights.

As part of the context is the implication that the land was owned, the Vineyard was owned by the one making the request. Like I mentioned before, there’s this correlation already in the mind of the Vineyard in a bigger sense as gods Vineyard. But the immediate context is also that of which it landowner is asking his son to perform a task.

Its not do the chore - it is take care of your inheritance - and they flat out disregard their inheritance - they throw it away. Its not even the prodigal son that demanded his inheritance and then left - IT IS A DISREGARD FOR IT ALTOGETHER

Remember, who was listening. The people listening…Many people but directly it is those who have a disdain for those Jesus is describing as I don’t wanna’s.

It is the people who are sinners - in the open sinners and people know it.

Driver Seat #1 - Changed their mind and went

Chair number one, at the outset are those who are obviously living a life outside of the boundaries of their inheritance. They are not doing what God said to do…even outright rejected God’s ways, His plans, His offer of an inheritance…BUT

These are the very ones that went out to the river where John, the Baptist was baptizing in the name of repentance. They went into the water and came up renewed.

To use the road analogy - they were on the wring rode and knew it, they had the directions but they just said not thanks…until they reconsidered and changed direction!

Driver Seat #2: “I will sir”

I think you already know where this is going. It’s not meant to be complicated. You are all very smart people. You know that your number two represents those who give God lip service, but don’t live up to what they say they will do.

Driver Seat #2: Respect in Public - Reject in Private

Jesus is Directly challenging them with a long held passage of scripture. He is re-teaching a truth he has taught before:

Matthew 15:7–9 (CSB) Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.”

The quote is from Isaiah 29:13 and it has been something God has warned His people about for centuries.

DON’T act like you love me, don’t say you are willing to obey me, don’t put on a show in public but reject me in private.

Jesus is using story form to help us DISCOVER a truth about who God is…The Truth to the On Ramp to the road of Redemption (the road of the cross)

THE ONE RAMP TO REDEMPTION IS REPENTANCE

The onramp to redemption is repentance not religious actions

Can I get an amen! No church. We are not called to play church. We are called to be the church. We are called to be those who go into the Vineyard, and cultivate the fruit that God is producing!

On-ramp, Jesus doesn’t give them an easy entrance. It is a full speed, without delay, merging onto the road to redemption through the act of repentance. Do you believe Jesus is who he says he is and does what he says he does and are you willing to put your faith your hope in your trust in him?

Here’s what I love about this parable. He says John came to you in the way of righteousness and you didn’t believe him but those who you know as sinners did. They believed - repented - changed direction and took the ramp.

Jesus is saying to the people in the temple: even though you saw them changing their mind, instead of you following suit you rejected them and you rejected John.

Don’t you see? Just because you are close in proximity doesn’t mean you are on the right road…

Before we get all “How did they not see this before” toward the religious people - to stay with the road analogy…

you are going down a road that seems to have the right scenery, it looks like you are headed the right way, the road signs are correct…the only problem - you are not on the road to redemption but the service road - That somehow all of your religious activity is going what makes it the road to redemption…

The danger is you don’t see that you’re on the wrong road. So, when the signs comes up - you don’t change course.

Jesus isn’t telling them this because they are doomed forever, HE is teaching through the story to break through the barriers so they can discover what they have been missing.

They missed it with John, but thats ok he was just paving the road for Jesus! It is not too late for them…and it is not too late for any of us…

How does it connect to my life?

The danger of the other seat… is that you don’t feel like you can take the on-ramp. That your past rejection of Jesus, your questions about the church, your experience of hypocrisy within the church, your flat out objection of anything religious, your____________.

The danger is that you see yourself like the religious elite would have seen the tax collectors of the day. They saw them as people who were unworthy to do the work at the Vineyard.

And sometimes, here’s what happens Church. We believe what other people think about us. And we allow it to affect the way we respond when truth is right in front of us. But I’m here to tell you that, regardless of your past the road to redemption, the on-ramp is right before you. And if you have even rejected Jesus, in the past, today can be the day that you turned around. That you repent. And that you say I’m getting on the road to redemption with Jesus.

The danger is you feel like the road you are on doesn’t even intersect with Jesus - or you are afraid you missed the on ramp.

It is not too late - you can change your mind!

THERE’S AN ONE RAMP! Maybe today you discovered something about yourself - you discovered the road you are on…and its time to change direction and merge with Jesus - to take the on ramp!

Taking the on ramp takes commitment, intentionality, and trust…Like a new driver taking the on ramp to the freeway for the first time - This On Ramp with Jesus might be a little scary, BUT YOU CAN DO IT!

There are many people in this room who have taken the on ramp already, and they are here to help show you the way. They will help dispel the fears and affirm the blessings, the beauty. They will walk alongside you.

Opportunity to say yes to Jesus…

Whats Next:

Baptism - Midweek - Bible - Diving into the WORD Reading plan